Wearing protective gear is a must in the medical field for obvious reasons. Medical professionals need to be well-protected from pathogens and other contaminants that may cause allergies and infections as they are mostly exposed to bodily fluids and harmful chemicals. An important type of protective gear is the disposable medical glove that provides protection to the hands against harmful substances including medical equipment, blood borne pathogens and hazardous chemicals.
There are two major types of medical gloves available - surgical gloves and exam gloves. Each of the glove types is meant to serve a specific purpose while both aim at protecting the wearers' hands from cross-contamination.
Surgical Gloves - These gloves are usually worn by surgeons and other supporting staff who come in direct contact with sharp tools, blood, infections and substances that could possibly cause extreme health conditions. Most of the healthcare professionals choose nitrile gloves over other types of medical gloves available on the market due to their high-puncture resistance and durability.
Exam Gloves - Healthcare professionals who work as caregivers such as physicians also need to wear gloves that protect themselves from cross-contamination during general examination and procedures. The medical exam gloves are available in latex, vinyl and nitrile with a varied thickness to choose from. For the exam gloves, it is not mandatory to look for the highest quality or thickest material.
Let us understand the characteristics of latex, vinyl and nitrile gloves.
- Available in powdered and powder-free varieties
- Amazing fit
- Great sensitivity to touch
- Extremely flexible
- Moderate protection
- Can cause skin allergies and irritation
- Made from PVC
- Cost-effective
- Comfortable fit and soft texture
- Free from latex
- Sensitive to touch
- Adequate protection
- Not much durable
- Free from protein and latex
- Highly resistant to chemicals
- Puncture-resistant
- Do not cause allergy
- Extremely durable
- High protection
Powdered and Powder-free Medical Gloves
Latex gloves were once the only preferred choice for medical professionals. They often feature a powder coating on the surface to make putting them on and off quick and easy. However, after prolonged use the powder was observed to have caused skin irritation. It also caused respiratory problems if the wearer accidentally inhaled the powder. So, for those who have an allergy to the powder, powder-free gloves entered the market that are as durable and protective as their powdered counterparts.
Allergies to latex are common due to which healthcare practitioners avoid buying latex medical gloves. For those who do not have an allergy towards latex may develop them after frequent use. Thus, to eliminate the risk of allergens, powder-free nitrile gloves or vinyl gloves can be used as they offer a firm grip and soft feel while also being durable enough and preventing cross-contamination.
Why are Nitrile Gloves so popular?
Nitrile works soft on the skin even when worn for extended periods and glides in comfortably. The material provides improved tactility and the soft texture of these gloves enhances the grip while also reducing the surface friction considerably. Nitrile gloves are a great replacement to the latex gloves as they are very cost-effective and provide more dexterity and durability. Nitrile is also more resistant to chemicals and reduces sweat and skin irritation to a great extent. Moreover, nitrile gloves are environment-friendly as the cost of disposal of these gloves is significantly less when compared to the latex counterparts.
To conclude, it is important to select a medical glove type that suits to your specific requirements and offer the level of protection required for particular tasks. Browse for a large variety of medical gloves and other safety gloves at https://www.packagingsuppliesbymail.com/industrial-gloves
