Gloves on or off - clean hands always come first

Good hand hygiene is the single most important factor in preventing the transmission of harmful bacteria and infections through healthcare. Even when using single-use medical gloves, hands must be clean at all times. It’s a basic ground rule for patient safety.

Today healthcare providers are emphasizing this key message even more strongly. The reason is that consumption of medical gloves remains significantly higher than before the outbreak of COVID-19.

In the wake of the strict hygiene measures imposed to contain the pandemic, many professional carers continue to follow the same routines. This means they may sometimes use gloves more out of habit than of need – a misuse that both increases the risks to patients and carers and drains healthcare resources.¹

To reverse this trend, carers need clear guidelines about best practice in medical glove use. Essentially, it comes down to answering three key questions:

• When should you wear medical gloves?

• What should you remember when using medical gloves?

• Which gloves should you choose?
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Here’s our take on each of those questions.

When should you wear medical gloves?

Medical glove use reached an all-time high during the COVID-19 pandemic, when hospital nurses wore medical gloves for an average of five hours a day.² Right from the outset, the World Health Organization warned that incorrect use by healthcare workers and the wider community could actually increase the risk of infection – through hand-to-face contact and by using gloves for daily errands.³

The recommendations for medical glove use in healthcare are actually the same now as they were before and during the pandemic.

Use gloves only when:

• In contact with blood, body fluids, mucous membranes, broken skin or chemicals.
• Caring for a patient who is in isolation due to an infection risk.

What should you remember when using medical gloves?

While medical gloves are essential for reducing the transmission of pathogens, they can never provide 100% protection. The combination of moisture and heat inside the glove also creates the ideal environment for bacteria growth. That’s why it’s important to:

• Remove and dispose of gloves immediately after contact with the care receiver without touching any surfaces.
• Wash hands thoroughly before and after use.

Frequent glove use can lead to occupational hand dermatitis, which can become a chronic condition with serious consequences for quality of life if left untreated. To minimize risks to skin health, healthcare professionals should take the following precautions:

• Make sure hands are completely dry before putting gloves on
• Use a moisturizing hand cream after hand washing and at the end of the workday
• Check hands regularly for any signs of redness or dryness

Which gloves should you choose?

Quality is a top concern when buying any type of medical glove for healthcare. Gloves of inferior quality are more likely to break or may have micro-holes or tears that undermine their protective function. Chemical residues in the glove material can further compromise user comfort and skin health. This is why rigorous quality control is a must.

The choice of glove type depends on the tasks and skin care needs of the healthcare professional. The following are available:

• Nitrile gloves
  A strong, all-round choice in a healthcare setting, nitrile gloves are durable with high touch sensitivity. Because they are made from synthetic rubber, they are ideal for carers with latex allergies.

• Latex gloves
  Ensuring a close and flexible fit, latex gloves are designed for precision and high touch sensitivity. They are made from natural rubber and available with or without powder.

• Vinyl gloves
  The softer, gentler feel of vinyl gloves makes them suitable for bed bathing, skincare routines and other hygiene tasks with a low risk. Easy to put on and take off, they’re a practical option for daily care.

• Antimicrobial gloves
  Effective against bacteria and viruses, antimicrobial gloves are designed to minimize healthcare-associated infections – killing most known microbes on contact.

Need more support on medical gloves?

Visit our medical gloves webpage for more information and our gloves product selector, which will help you find the right glove type for your needs in seconds. You’re also welcome to drop our glove experts a line.