Medical gloves are an essential part of personal protective equipment, PPE for a number of professional environments.
Though you may find them familiar in health care settings, disposable medical gloves are also important for caregivers, food handlers, dentists, and other professionals.
However, whenever possible, health and sanitation are top concerns, and protective gloves are essential.
They help to stop the spread of infection and promote safety for both your employees and those they serve.
However, if you need disposable gloves for professional environments, choosing the best possible kind of glove is crucial.
You will need to understand the differences between different medical gloves types.
It is important to note that not all gloves are the same.
They come in different materials, strength levels, and other features that lend themselves to distinct purposes.
Keep on reading to learn more about medical gloves.
Understanding Medical Gloves
It is important to note that only disposable gloves qualify as medical gloves.
In order to fit the medical-grade description disposable gloves, it must meet the Food and Drug Administration, FDA quality assurance guidelines.
These guidelines help to make sure that all the gloves you use in medical settings are durable and reliable.
However, it also helps to make sure they are not flimsy and brittle.
For patient examinations, gloves must have an acceptable quality level, AQL no higher than 2.5.
This rating means that the gloves should not be more than 2.5% of the batch that can have defects.
Moreover, the gloves are non-sterile, while sterile gloves must have an even lower AQL measure.
Manufacturers need to keep up with the stringent testing measures to achieve a score of 2.5 or lower.
Gloves with an AQL higher than 4 to 5 are only acceptable for either mechanical or industrial purposes.
While rigorous AQL standards need glove manufacturers to employ compromising quality control.
The AQL scoring guides help to make sure that the gloves you use in medical settings and for medical purposes are without any defects.
Furthermore, tears or other lapses in quality can leave healthcare professionals and their patients vulnerable to pathogens or other contaminants.
Depending on your applications, you will have to decide on an acceptable AQL rating.
You will also be able to find industry standards, and if not, make sure to opt for lower AQLs for the best quality disposable gloves.
Keep in mind, that doctors in your hospital or clinics will need to use gloves with AQL scores of 2.5 or lower for patient examinations.
A similar score would likely suffice for your environment unless you need them for surgical purposes.
Types of Materials for Medical Gloves
Disposable gloves with an acceptable AQL rating come in different materials.
One of the first things you will need to consider is your glove material performance.
Different glove materials are useful for different purposes, thus, it is always a good idea to learn about the available options before making a bulk purchase.
The following are the material types:
Nitrile Gloves
These types of gloves are one the best alternatives to latex gloves, which offers a longer average shelf life.
Moreover, standard black nitrile gloves are an ideal sterile option.
A powder-free, latex-free nitrile glove is resistant to chemicals, oils, and acids.
Furthermore, the strength of nitrile makes these gloves tough and helps them stay puncture-free.
Even when you wear them for extended periods of time, they remain tough.
In case you or anyone of your staff members have latex allergies, nitrile gloves offer a flexible, touch-sensitive alternative.
You can also buy them in the bulk of orders in different colors and sizes.
Latex Gloves
Latex is a comfortable, inexpensive glove option that is suitable for most medical environments.
Moreover, they have been a staple for a number of healthcare facilities since the human immunodeficiency virus, and the HIV epidemic of the 1980s.
However, it is important to note that latex allergies are common.
There is a high likelihood that someone in your organization or someone you serve has a latex allergy.
If you are making a purchase for widespread you may want to consider that the material is less likely to cause allergic reactions.
Also, latex has a short shelf-life, in comparison to other materials.
Vinyl, Polyvinyl Chloride, PVC Gloves
Another option is polyvinyl chloride, a PVC glove.
PVC is a common synthetic plastic polymer. As they are easy to mass-produce, these gloves are one of the least expensive options.
Moreover, they are also less durable than other glove types and offer limited hazard protection.
For this very reason, PVC gloves, or natural rubber gloves are best suited for low-hazard applications.
However, in some cases, you can also have nitrile-vinyl blend gloves or affordability and durability.
Learn more about Medical Supplies Dubai here.
Other Types of Medical Gloves
For most applications, one of the above-listed materials will suffice.
However, the following are a few options of other material choices you can consider for latex-free medical gloves:
Chloroprene Gloves: Chlotoprene is a synthetic monomer.
It creates polychloroprene, which mimics latex well and is also resistant to hazardous chemicals.
Chemo Gloves: These gloves are approved for use during chemotherapy.
Moreover, exposure to chemotherapy drugs can be hazardous, so PPE is always recommended by experts.
Aloe Vera Gloves: Frequent hand-washing and glove changes can cause hands to become dry and cracked.
Some medical gloves include an internal aloe vera coating to help moisture the hands.
Sterile vs. Non-sterile Gloves
It is important to note that for a glove to have a “sterile” rating, it needs to meet strict FDA guidelines.
Sterile medical gloves (surgical gloves) are acceptable for surgical purposes, thus, they must have the best possible AQL rating.
Moreover, these also need to have an acceptable quality level of 1.5 or lower.
While examination gloves can have an AQL of as high as 2.5.
So sterile gloves can also be considered safe.
As the manufacturers require strict testing, sterile gloves may have a higher price.
Surgical vs. Examination Gloves
Though the term “non-sterile” may sound concerning, however, non-sterile gloves tend to have an AQL of 2.5 or lower.
Moreover, they are also acceptable for non-surgical purposes.
Using non-sterile gloves in non-surgical settings is sage and helps to reduce the risk of disease transmission.
Most healthcare workers make use of non-sterile gloves for patient examination purposes.
While it is worth noting that non-sterile gloves tend to work well for other applications.
If you are looking for disposable gloves for routine cleaning, food service, caregiving, or other purposes, non-sterile gloves should be fine.
Thus, it is crucial to decide on an acceptable AQL rating for your purposes.
Learn more about Medical Items: Guide here.
Powdered vs. Non-Powdered Gloves
You will come across powdered and non-powdered glove options while making a purchase.
Powdered gloves feature a cornstarch coating which makes them easier to put on.
Moreover, it prevents them from sticking together as well.
Though it can improve convenience, FDA has banned gloves powder for both surgery and patient examination purposes.
According to FDA the risks of powdered gloves in a medical setting outweigh the benefits.
The powder can also cling to the wearer’s skin, causing irritation, inflammation, or allergic reactions.
Furthermore, it can also cause surgical complications that involve peritoneal adhesions, which is a type of bond between the organs of a human.
Though the bad does not yet extend to food service applications, loose cornstarch from powdered gloves can cause food contaminations.
In most cases, a non-powdered glove is a preferable choice.
Glove Thickness and Tactical Sensitivity
You should also consider glove thickness while making a purchase.
Thicker gloves tend to provide a stronger protective barrier.
Moreover, they are also better resistant to tears, allowing for a longer wear time.
Heavy-duty, industrial-grade gloves will offer more thickness than a lighter, thinner glove.
With that, a thicker glove may dull touch sensitivity, which is not ideal in certain settings.
If your application requires a high level of touch sensitivity, you may want to opt for thinner gloves that are made from durable materials like nitrile.
Thus, when looking for glove options, make sure to look for thickening measurements in mils.
Furthermore, certain situations call for a high level of tactile or touch sensitivity.
For instance, a surgeon will need unimpaired touch sensitivity to perform surgery with the necessary precision and accuracy.
Tactile sensitivity gloves made of a lightweight material will also allow for precision levels similar to an ungloved hand.
Also, sensitivity may be crucial to a number of applications like food preparation, electronic handling, and pharmaceuticals.
Medical Glove Comfort, Fit, and Tensile Strength
Make sure to consider glove comfort and fit, including different size options.
Depending on the application, your staff may need to wear gloves while performing complex tasks.
Moreover, they will also need to wear gloves for extended periods of time.
Therefore, it is important to choose comfortable gloves.
An uncomfortable glove may hinder their ability to perform their important and necessary duties.
Size options are an essential consideration as well. In case the medical gloves are small, it can cause irritability or limit blood circulation to the wearer’s hand.
Thus, it will also make the fit distracting and uncomfortable.
While a too-small glove is more likely to tear, thus, compromising its protective barrier.
In case the glove is too large, other concerns may arise. Loose space between the glove and the skin can leave the wearer vulnerable to pathogens.
A glove that is too big is also likely to fall off, thus, causing significant concerns.
Therefore, when making a purchase, make sure to get different sizes, at least small, medium, and large.
On the other hand, tensile strength refers to the resistance of the material when you stretch or pull it.
Gloves with higher tensile strength are more tear-resistant.
Both nitrile and latex medical gloves have high tensile strength. As a tear will compromise the protection a glove provides, tensile strength is important.
It is an important measurement to consider, especially for its application that requires hand dexterity.
Medical Glove Color, and Shelf-Life
You may not consider the color of the medical gloves, it can, however, make a noticeable difference.
You may want to choose to color code gloves so that your staff can differentiate between different glove types.
For instance, you can choose blue for latex gloves and black for non-latex gloves.
However, for sterile and non-sterile gloves, color coding should also be useful.
Moreover, certain colors can also make tears more apparent.
Another important thing you may want to consider is whether double gloving provides more protection or not.
According to a study by the National Institute of Health, NIH, double gloving is an effective way to protect the wearer from pathogens.
They recommend double gloving as a routine practice for operating rooms.
The final factor you should consider is the shelf life of the medical gloves.
Buying disposable gloves in bulk will make sure that you have gloves when you need them.
However, it may also mean that some gloves are unused for extended periods.
Shelf-life of the glove also depends on its material.
Nitrile gloves tend to last longer than other materials, thus, you should always check for the manufacturer guidelines.
Proper Storage Tips
It is important to note that proper storage can help to make your medical gloves last longer.
For short or long-term glove storage, you can:
Keep the Gloves in Original Packing: Only break the packaging seal when you are ready to use the glove.
Cool Temperature Environments: Too much heat can cause your gloves to degrade.
Therefore, it is important to store them at a cool temperature.
A temperature-controlled closet is an ideal choice.
Store with Ultraviolet Light or Ozone: Some fluorescent bulbs and electrical equipment can generate ozone.
Moreover, exposure to either can damage your gloves.
Low Humidity Environment: Too much humidity can compromise gloves or lead to mold or bacterial growth in the gloves.
Thus, keep them away from humidifiers, radiators, steam pipes, or any other heat and humidity generating equipment.
It is important to note that when storing gloves, opt for cool, dark environments.
Proper storage will help to extend the shelf-life of the gloves, saving you both time and money in the long-term and minimizing waste.
Removing Medical Gloves Safely
Safely removing medical gloves is important to stop the spread of disease and pathogens. Follow the steps below to remove them:
- Grab the first with with your gloved hand. Make sure to avoid touching your skin and pull the glove away from the skin
- Pull the glove towards the tip of your fingers, turning the glove inside-out as you do, Hold the glove you just removed in your other hand.
- Remove the second glove. For this, slide the finger of your bare hand into the second glove at the top of your wrist and put it away from your wrist, peeling it off.
- Throw the gloves away, and make sure to not use medical gloves again. yours your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds to make sure your hands are clean and all traces of the virus are washed away.
Learn more about Infection Control and Prevention Guidelines here.
The Bottom Line
Medical gloves are disposable and are an important part of the medical supplies you will need to have in your storage for medical examination. Though you may find the procedure daunting, you will need to make sure of the above factors while making a purchase. You can also use them to handle pet supplies in a pet care center.
Reliable PPC, including gloves, masks, and hand sanitizers is important for medical and healthcare settings. It can help prevent the spread of infections and pathogens, ensuring the protection of your staff, and patients, both.
