We all go to hospitals when we face any health issue or infectious disease, but had we ever thought that it is the same place that is highly susceptible to various types of infections and germs. That’s why it is imperative to take some preventive measures to inhibit the spread of infection in hospitals and other healthcare centers. And the first line of defense is to choose personal protective equipment like PPE.
There was a time when more than fifty percent of deaths in the hospitals were due to the spread of infection rather than the original disease itself. That’s how medical gloves came into existence to prevent the spread of infection and reduce the number of deaths in hospitals.
Using medical gloves is a type of personal protective procedure that every person who works in the healthcare industry has to follow. This protective procedure includes other equipment also such as gowns, masks, shoes and headcovers. It is mandatory to wear gloves during medical examinations and procedures to protect both the healthcare worker and patient from the spread of infection.
Types of Medical Gloves
These medical gloves are single-use disposable items that need to be discarded immediately after use. They can be either exam gloves or surgical gloves. Exam gloves are mostly worn during examination procedures or while handling patients or sensitive materials. They can be sterile or non-sterile. On the other hand, surgical gloves are always sterile as they are used by surgeons while performing precise surgeries. Surgical gloves are of much higher quality and a better fit than exam gloves.
Related News:-
Top 10 Innovations in Healthcare Technology
These medical gloves are available in a variety of material options such as latex, nitrile rubber, vinyl and neoprene. They also come in options of smooth or textured gloves. The wearer can choose the right kind of gloves based on their requirement. Some gloves also come with powdered cornstarch in them. This helps to lubricate the gloves and facilitates easy glide-on while putting or taking off.
Benefits of Using Medical Gloves
- Using medical gloves acts as a barrier between your hands and potential infection or germs, protecting you from the risk of various pathogens and infectious contaminants.
- Unlike ordinary gloves, these gloves are manufactured under the best quality conditions to provide the best fit and grip on hands. They allow the wearer to retain the grip on the object; that’s why wearing medical gloves allows surgeons to perform even the most delicate and precise surgery with ease.
- Most of the gloves are not only resistant to water but also resistant to other chemical substances. This provides an even one step high level of protection to its wearer.
- These gloves come in varied shapes, designs and thicknesses to choose from. If your profession is such that you often use pointed equipment, then using gloves that offer resistance to pointed and sharp equipment is imperative for you. These types of gloves are not easy to pierce or cut, so they will protect you from needle injuries or any similar penetration injuries.
When to use medical gloves?
Using medical gloves is mandatory while you are touching bodily fluids, blood, respiratory secretions, urine, vomit content, feces, mucous membrane or even broken skin. You should wear these gloves if you are going to handle hazardous drugs or contaminated items.
Factors To Consider Before Using Medical Gloves
- Always wash your hands before and after wearing sterile medical gloves.
- Make sure that you use gloves that fit properly on your hands and allow ease and convenience while working all day.
- Always check what material suits you best. Avoid using medical gloves from that material which causes allergic reactions on your body.
- Stay away from sharp objects as they can puncture the gloves.
- If your gloves got ripped off or tore down, then change them immediately.
- Don’t reuse, wash or disinfect gloves. Also, don’t share your gloves with others.
So, we hope that you have got enough information regarding the use of medical gloves in the healthcare industry. Make sure to share this information with other people so that they also get aware of such important things.
