Medical gloves are extremely important in the healthcare industry as they help in eliminating direct contact between patients and doctors, & provide safety against harmful chemicals and bacteria. For absolute protection, it is crucial to choose the right gloves and use them appropriately.
How to Choose Right Type of Gloves?
When it comes to choosing the right disposable gloves, there are various choices available according to one’s need. Factors like level of safety, convenience, durability, etc. all vary among different types of gloves, which comprise of latex gloves, nitrile gloves, and vinyl gloves to name a few. Therefore, it becomes important to understand why there are so many different types. Once you get the idea of this, the process of selecting gloves will be much simpler.
Types of Gloves
Latex Gloves vs. Latex-free Gloves
Healthcare providers mostly prefer latex gloves since they come with more elasticity, comfort, and fit. Particularly surgeons benefit from latex gloves because they are suitable for sensitive work, as they provide more accuracy with high tactile sensitivity.
Talking about vinyl gloves, they are made from PVC (polyvinyl chloride), & usually comes at reasonable prices in comparison to latex-free gloves. Still, most people like to use higher-end gloves such as nitrile gloves. People choose nitrile gloves as these non-latex gloves give the same elastic feel offered by latex gloves, and are also highly durable and puncture-resistant. You can look for the best nitrile gloves in India online. For example, SMB is India’s largest online medical & hospital products store that provides the best quality products at the cheapest rates online.
If you consider safety, latex gloves give the best protection against bacteria and viruses, whereas synthetic gloves deliver better chemical protection. Among the category of latex-free gloves, nitrile gloves give a higher degree of protection against infections, besides the chemical protection they provide.
Select From Different Options
Let’s take a look at some more options available in the market to choose the right glove type for the intended use.
Powdered Gloves vs. Powder-free Gloves
In comparison to powdered gloves, powder-free gloves are a bit costly because of the procedure it involves for removing the powder coating. It comes with many advantages like they reduce the cause of allergies by reducing protein and chemical content. Also, they are ‘cleaner’ to use than powdered gloves.
Powdered gloves are usually slicked with cornstarch or other coating options that have replaced cornstarch such as lycopodium powder and talc so that they can be worn with ease. But even cornstarch can cause trouble in treatment when it comes in contact with tissues. Thus, powder-free gloves are more suitable for surgeries & other sensitive treatments.
Chlorinated Gloves vs. Non-chlorinated Gloves
Further, if you have chosen to use powder-free gloves, you’ll also need to decide whether you want to go with chlorinated or non-chlorinated gloves.
If you want to use powdered-free gloves but want the benefits of powdered gloves, you can go with chlorinated gloves which are powder-free & easy to put on. Another advantage is that these gloves are also particle free to avoid allergic reactions induced by soluble proteins.
On the other hand, non-chlorinated gloves, are somewhat similar in color to regular exam gloves and don’t contain a chlorine smell. Nonetheless, non-chlorinated gloves are not very prominent because they are not particle-free & people face difficulties while wearing them.
Examination Gloves vs. Surgical Gloves
Surgical gloves & exam gloves both are medical-grade gloves that are used during medical treatments.
The use of medical exam gloves can be done for examining patients & doing blood tests. They are also utilized for common purposes such as for managing incontinence, everyday spills, and tangles in and around the hospital or even. Whereas, surgical gloves are used by surgeons and nurses. They serve high quality & are usually clean & free from any bacteria, offering a better fit with accurate sizing, as well as more tactile sensitivity.
Gloves for Chemotherapy
These gloves are especially used while performing chemotherapy. These medical gloves are tested for use with chemotherapy drugs. It is advised to conduct a proper research when choosing chemo tested gloves.
There are a few more options in addition to the ones listed above. For instance, every category of gloves is made with distinct finishes. Some have a smooth finish, while others are somewhat or entirely textured to give a better grip. You can also find disposable plastic gloves online or at medical stores for day to day use.
