Proper Use of Medical Gloves

Knowing Proper Use of Medical Gloves Is Key

Most healthcare workers understand the importance of glove use, but determining the right type of medical gloves to use is a big challenge. It’s important for workers to be educated about the available options and their appropriate uses, according to Esah S. Yip, DSc, director of the Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council.

"Generally, the most important function of medical gloves worn by clinicians or other healthcare personnel is to provide very effective barrier protection for both the users and the patients," Esah S. Yip said. Therefore, the right glove should be one that is capable of doing that." A medical glove’s ability to provide effective protection is an important criterion, given that it has been estimated that about 2 million people in hospitals are affected by infections due to poor barrier, resulting in about 80,000 deaths annually," Esah S. Yip added.

The protective abilities of a glove depends on the material it’s made of, so it’s important for workers to make an informed choice about the options they choose, Esah S. Yip said. "For example, many studies by researchers have shown repeatedly that vinyl gloves tend to leak during use more often than latex gloves," he said. "Other gloves, such as nitrile and polychloroprene, show better performance than vinyl, but they are more costly."

Healthcare workers need to be able to recognize the different glove types and apply them to the appropriate tasks and risk level.

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