Different Types of Medical Gloves

Safety gloves are an essential part of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). It acts as a defense for health workers protecting against all possible hazards. Gloves protect us from sharp tools, extreme temperatures, flames, chemicals, blood, and other bodily fluids. It is also used in industrial plants working with chemicals. It is also used by chefs to prepare hygiene food. Gloves help you prevent major medical conditions which you could have from hazardous chemicals or other tools.

It is important to know that there are different gloves that help you protect against different things. You need to check which one best fits your requirements.

Here is a list of different types of gloves used in the medical industry and other chemical plants.

1. Chloroprene Gloves:

Chloroprene gloves are go-to gloves. It provides comfort, fit, and strength with protection. If you are into a profession where you need to wear gloves all day then these gloves provide the best comfort and are softer to use than vinyl gloves.

These gloves also fit better, as they stretch and mold into the shape of your hand. It gives a tight-fitting and thus, helps you to work for a longer duration. It also helps reduce hand fatigue. These are safest to use and less prone to puncture and thus, making them safe to use around sharp objects. These gloves are like natural rubbers providing better elasticity.

It provides protection against blood, bodily fluids, toxic chemicals, corrosive substances, alcohol, acids, detergents, and other dangerous chemicals. It also acts as a protection against flame, extreme temperatures, and other dangerous chemicals as well.

There are many different types of disposable gloves, which help prevent your palms. Here are a few of them.

2. Latex Gloves:

Latex gloves offer protection against many chemicals, biohazards, abrasive, and tearing hazards. It provides better resistance against punctures against vinyl gloves. These prevent cross-contamination and are used by nurses, physicians, and other medical personnel. It also helps them against drugs and chemicals which protect them against all serious health problems. It also protects against sharp tools, surgical needles, and knives while treating patients. If not used it can lead to cuts on their hands and palms. These are quite tough and help protect you from various physical hazards while piercing or from getting bruises.

3. Nitrile Gloves:

Nitrile gloves last for a longer duration, but they degrade faster. It helps protect the wearer's hands. It saves the user from contamination. These are waterproof, gasproof, oilproof, and chemical resistant gloves. These are commonly used in medical industries, chemical labs, industrial plants, and also in food services. It has high puncture resistance as well. It is an everyday glove and an ideal solution for your everyday use.

Industrial plants protect from cleaning agents, chemicals, pesticides, and many more.

In food services, it makes sure the food is handled safely and hygienically.

It is used in many industries because it is a snug fit and has a greater chemical and temperature resistance.

• Powdered Gloves:

Powdered gloves have cornstarch added to it, which makes it easier in busy locations where the cornstarch helps prevent the sticking of the gloves together. If these gloves are worn for a longer duration then it can cause allergies and sensitivity to them in very rare cases.

• Powder-Free Gloves:

These are chemically treated with chlorine that makes latex gloves harder to remove and wear, decreasing the firmness and increasing the friction to work. It is further treated with water and then dried and used.

There are other kinds of gloves as well like, chlorinated gloves, non-chlorinated gloves, examination gloves, surgical gloves, and chemo gloves and all have very different properties and things to protect against. Like chemotherapy gloves help you against radiation.

Conclusion:

Selecting the right kind of glove is necessary especially if you are in a medical field or working in an industry with chemicals. You need to take care of the minor cut or scrape. It could lead to a major medical condition. You need to make sure that your glove fits you well, and protects you from hazardous fluids and flames, protecting you from any wear or tear. Also, you need to make sure that it is used before its expiration date. You need to wear gloves as a second skin.

TSeveral factors go into selecting the right safety glove. You need to know which gloves you need. It should also protect you from sharp objects and should not slip holding sharp tools. And gloves must be clean, comfy, and easy to wear with no allergies.

Paul Clifford is the Owner & CEO of Medguard. He aims to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure of the country by supplying medical devices and consumable products of top-notch quality.