Medical gloves- The complete guide to choosing the right one

Things you should know while buying Medical Gloves!

The need for medical gloves in the industry is increasing day by day. Medical gloves are an inevitable part of the medical industry. We need medical gloves in the simplest medical examination for the most complicated surgeries. Medical gloves are disposable gloves that are used in hospitals, clinics, labs, and other medical industries by doctors, nurses, and other technicians to avoid cross-infection during medical procedures and examinations. Medical gloves are approved by the FDA and the gloves have to comply with all quality measures and regulations laid down by the FDA.

Though a wide variety of gloves are available in the market, choosing the right gloves for your requirements can get a bit confusing. Let’s dive deeper into different kinds of medical gloves available in the market and find out what are the things you need to look into when choosing a glove.

Types of Medical Gloves

Medical gloves are of two types: surgical medical gloves and examination medical gloves. Surgical medical gloves are gloves used by surgeons and health professionals who come in direct contact with blood, sharp tools, and infections which are likely to cause infection/ illness. Examination medical gloves are gloves that are used by healthcare professionals to avoid cross-infection during examinations and other medical procedures.

Surgical medical gloves have:-

1) Precise sizing
2) Better precision
3) Better sensitivity
4) Made to a higher standard
5) Generally sterile.

Examination gloves are either sterile or non-sterile.

There are mainly three kinds of gloves available in the market. They are latex gloves, nitrile gloves, and vinyl gloves. Latex gloves are made up of rubber while nitrile gloves are made of synthetic rubber and vinyl gloves are made up of polyvinyl chloride. While latex gloves are most commonly used for medical examination, people who are allergic to latex, and hence prefer using nitrile gloves. Vinyl gloves are most commonly used in the food industry and less likely used in the medical industry. Let’s check out a few of the things you need to keep in mind while purchasing a glove.

Thickness :

Gloves are measured in mil. The thickness of the glove used depends on the purpose of the glove. For example in the dental industry and most medical industry, they use a glove of 3–4 mil thickness. 5–6 mil gloves give better durability but less sensitivity. For other applications with higher risk, 7–8 mil gloves are used.

Allergy:

Some people are allergic to latex gloves. Symptoms can range from mild irritation, asthma symptoms to anaphylaxis. In such cases, they use nitrile gloves. Nitrile gloves are an excellent replacement for latex gloves.

Chemical resistance:

If it involves chemicals, nitrile gloves are the best choice. Nitrile gloves have excellent chemical resistance properties than latex gloves. Nitrile gloves come in blue and black color.

Fitting:

One of the main things you need to look into while purchasing a glove is how well it fits. The glove should not snugly fit, neither be too tight or too loose or be uncomfortable from any side. Previously, powdered gloves were used in the medical industry to eliminate the discomforts of unfitting gloves. Powdered gloves fit in easily by offering less resistance. But the FDA banned powdered gloves due to increased risk of infection and danger in patients.

Cost-effective:

You might want to cut down on your expenses, especially when you are buying medical gloves in bulk. Nitrile gloves are comparatively cheaper than latex gloves. Due to the increasing rate of latex gloves, they are being replaced by gloves made of polyvinyl chloride, neoprene, and nitrile rubber. Latex gloves are made of rubber while nitrile gloves are made of synthetic rubber.

Texture:

Texturing is the next important feature you should pay attention to when buying gloves. Texturing helps to provide better protection and grip to the users. There are three types of texture: smooth texture, micro-roughened texture, and aggressive texture. Vinyl gloves usually have a smooth texture. Nitrile and latex gloves mostly have micro-roughened texture.

Bacteria resistant:

Latex gloves are the most effective gloves against bacteria and virus infection. Though nitrile gloves provide virus resistance, latex gloves provide better protection than nitrile or vinyl gloves.

Quality:

Whether you buy it in bulk or buy a single piece, quality is one thing you never want to compromise on. Always make sure that the quality of the gloves is good. Nitrile gloves are the most durable and tear and puncture-resistant than the other gloves available. It is 3–4 times stronger than latex gloves. Every glove should meet acceptable quality level ( AQL) standards. A lower AQL denotes a high-quality level. The standard value of AQL for medical gloves is1.5.

Durability:

When you buy a commodity or product, you definitely want it to be worth every penny. Durability or shelf life is one of the most important criteria you should pay attention to. The longer the shelf life of a glove, the longer it lasts. Nitrile gloves have a longer durability and shelf life than latex gloves. They last a very long time.

Protection:

Depending upon the level of risk involved in the application, you need to choose the gloves. For higher-risk applications, you need gloves that will give you maximum protection and lesser or minimize the risk. Among nitrile, vinyl, and latex gloves, nitrile gloves provide the most protection. It provides high barrier protection as compared to the other gloves. Latex gloves provide mid barrier protection, whereas vinyl provides standard barrier protection.

To avoid skin irritation, wash your hands thoroughly with sanitizer after using the gloves. Cut your nails to avoid tear in gloves. Through healthy practices, we can prevent the spread of infection or illness and keep the world healthy, safe and sickness free.