Problems With Latex, Vinyl & Rubber Medical Gloves
Sunday, March 1st, 2009Gloves can be very useful for protecting the hands, whether this is from chemicals, irritants or temperature. The rubber glove is the most well known of all gloves. Rubber gloves are typically used for the protection of hands when performing tasks involving chemicals. Rubber gloves are also commonly worn whilst cleaning the cutlery to protect the hands from washing up detergents and to allow the use of hot water. Rubber gloves that are used for washing dishes are often yellow, this has led to them being given the nickname of marigolds after the yellow flower. Medical workers often use medical gloves rather than rubber gloves whilst performing surgical operations.
Medical gloves aren’t always made from rubber, although powder free rubber medical gloves are still manufactured. Many medical employees prefer to use other gloves that give a more comfortable fit and allow more sensitivity as well as giving the level of protection needed. Usually disposable medical gloves come in a number of different materials, such as latex, nitrile and vinyl. These types of medical gloves are frequently used but usually for a number of different reasons.
Nitrile gloves are the usual alternative to latex ones as they provide the same levels of sensitivity and comfort. Nitrile gloves are made from a synthetic polymer and therefore don’t contain any protein, so they are less likely to cause irritation and allergic reactions. Nitrile is a material that is can withstand increased levels of pressure and tension and they commonly come in a blue colour. The reason for this is because it makes it easy to spot a fault in the glove. The amazing thing about the nitrile gloves material reacts to your body temperature and conforms to the shape of your hand providing a fit like no other.
Vinyl gloves are usually used in examinations as they are soft to the touch and very comfortable to wear. They are also resistant to acids, fats and alcohols and have fantastic anti-static properties. Vinyl gloves unfortunatly have a tendency to tear after extensive use and should not be used in high risk situations. Vinyl gloves are made from PVC, yet they don’t contain latex proteins which can cause allergy problems. As well as this it has been shown that wearing vinyl gloves in a work situation can help reduce conditions such as eczema.
Latex gloves have always been used by medical professionals as they are reliable and durable as well as providing great sensitivity. As well as this latex gloves are easy to don and remove quickly which is handy in some situations. The one problem with latex gloves is that large numbers of people have developed allergies to latex making it impossible for them to wear them. As a result this has meant the increased usage of other medical gloves.