It is crucial to keep your surgical team safe by protecting them from pathogens in the blood. So, you must purchase surgical and medical gloves. These gloves help prevent the spread of various illnesses that can be transmitted from one person to another. They also come in different materials like latex, nitrile, neoprene, vinyl, etc. You can read further to know what surgical gloves are and the things to consider while purchasing them.
What Are Surgical Gloves?
As mentioned earlier, surgical gloves are an essential medical device for your surgical team. It is the highest-grade category of medical gloves. Surgical gloves are necessary in order to avoid contact with environmental contaminants or blood-borne pathogens. They are tested thoroughly in compliance with the Food and Drug Association guidelines, commonly known as FDA. Surgical gloves are of the highest quality compared to general gloves. They have been designed to give the surgical team the sensitivity, tactile feel, and accuracy they need for surgery.
Things to Consider When Purchasing Surgical Gloves
- Material
There are different types of materials like latex, nitrile, and vinyl. Get to know about it from the following:
- Latex: Natural rubber latex material has been utilised as disposable gloves for several years. Due to its high-level comfort and flexibility, many surgical teams find latex gloves to be beneficial. You can easily put these medical gloves on your hands. For the latex gloves, several brands replace the traditional cornstarch powder inside with the polymer coating. It is also known to be effective against environmental contaminants and blood pathogens. The gloves have a lot of endurance in procedures that are long and complicated.
- Nitrile: Some surgical teams prefer nitrile gloves because they can resist abrasions and needle sticks. If any surgical team has latex allergies, they utilise nitrile instead. The benefits of using nitrile gloves are that they can protect you from various chemicals, and they are comfortable when worn. Due to their long shelf life, you can order them in bulk. You can find them in colours of blue and black.
- Vinyl: Vinyl gloves are an excellent option for those with latex allergies. Additionally, you will find them to be affordable and less durable. Due to its lower durability, it can tear easily. Vinyl gloves are utilised as examination gloves only. Since they are less elastic and comfortable as compared to the latex and nitrile, your surgical team might have to change their gloves all the time.
- Double-Gloving
A few surgical teams practise double-gloving. So what is double-gloving? Double-gloving is when the team wears two gloves to protect themselves from contaminants and reduce the risk of infection. If your surgical team wears two different coloured gloves, it becomes easier to spot any tear or puncture in the gloves. For instance, your surgical team wears light coloured gloves underneath the dark-coloured ones or vice versa, and then you can identify the damage sooner. According to an article, surgeons from two Ontario hospitals practise double-gloving. You will require purchasing your gloves in bulk to practise double-gloving.
- Fit and Comfort
While performing surgery, your surgical team should be confident so that the entire procedure will be smooth. For this reason, you will need medical and surgical gloves for a comfortable fit. Indeed, the surgery will be a success no matter how long and complicated it can get. Generally, you will find several manufacturers with the size chart of the gloves on their website.
- Cost vs. Quality
When you select a surgical glove, you must consider the quality and the price. The gloves might be of high quality and more expensive, but you would like to purchase the least expensive one. So, you need to consider the consumer’s requirements against the sale price and the quality of the surgical gloves. You can also discuss with your team to settle upon the best choice of surgical gloves.