Medical Gloves - FDA
Medical Gloves - FDA
Medical gloves are examples of personal protective equipment used to protect the wearer and/or the patient from the spread of micro-organisms that may potentially cause infection or illness during medical procedures and examinations. Medical gloves are one part of an infection-control strategy.
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Medical gloves are disposable and include examination gloves, surgical gloves, and medical gloves for handling chemotherapy agents (chemotherapy gloves). Medical gloves are regulated by the FDA as Class I reserved medical devices that require a 510(k) premarket notification. Generally, the FDA reviews these devices to ensure that performance criteria, such as leak resistance, certain physical properties, and biocompatibility, are met.
On this page:
- When to use medical gloves
- What you should know before using medical gloves
- Ban on Powdered Gloves
- Additional Information
When to use medical gloves
Use medical gloves when your hands may touch someone else’s body fluids (such as blood, respiratory secretions, vomit, urine or feces), certain hazardous drugs or some potentially contaminated items.
What you should know before using medical gloves
- Wash your hands before putting on sterile medical gloves.
- Make sure your medical gloves fit properly for you to wear them comfortably during all patient care activities.
- Some people are allergic to the natural rubber latex used in some medical gloves. The FDA requires manufacturers to identify on the package labeling the materials used to make the medical gloves. If you are or your patient is allergic to natural rubber latex, you should choose medical gloves made from other synthetic materials (such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nitrile, or polyurethane).
- Be aware that sharp objects can puncture medical gloves.
- Always change your medical gloves if they rip or tear.
- After removing medical gloves, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub.
- Never reuse medical gloves.
- Never wash or disinfect medical gloves.
- Never share medical gloves with other users.
Ban on Powdered Gloves
On December 19, , the FDA published a final rule banning powdered gloves (Powdered Surgeon's Gloves, Powdered Patient Examination Gloves, and Absorbable Powder for Lubricating a Surgeon's Gloves) based on the unreasonable and substantial risk of illness or injury to individuals exposed to the powdered gloves. The risks to both patients and health care providers when internal body tissue is exposed to the powder include severe airway inflammation and hypersensitivity reactions. Powder particles may also trigger the body's immune response, causing tissue to form around the particles (granulomas) or scar tissue formation (adhesions) which can lead to surgical complications. For a detailed description of the risks that the FDA identified, please refer to the final rule.
Additional Information
Medical gloves — how often should you change them?
Medical exam gloves are one of the most incredible inventions when it comes to new and modern technology. Because wound care is such a sensitive issue, medical grade gloves provide an effective way to minimize infections and the spreading of germs and bacteria. Without the use of medical gloves, proper and thorough wound care would be impossible since the spread of disease is such a complicated process. Because disposable gloves, including nitrile gloves, exist, changing gloves during wound care becomes possible and minimizes the spread of infection.
Doctors, nurses, medical students, and caregivers around the globe utilize throw away exam gloves as an effective way to care for their patients. One question they often have, however, is how often disposable gloves should be changed. If you're a medical professional who utilizes throw away exam gloves while caring for patients, there are a few things you need to know about medical gloves and changing gloves during wound care. The proper use of disposable gloves can truly change the path of patient caring. Changing gloves during wound care with medical grade gloves offers a way you can ensure your patient receives the most safe and proper medical care. Medical gloves are an incredibly beneficial and inexpensive tool, especially when you utilize ordering medical gloves wholesale for your patients.
Why are medical gloves important?
Medical grade gloves provide an enormous number of benefits for both patients and health care workers. Prior to the development of latex gloves, it was quite simple for infections, germs, viruses, and bacteria to spread from patients to caregivers. Even proper hand washing alone is not enough to prevent the spread of disease. This is especially true while caring for patients with open wounds or infectious diseases. No patient should be denied medical care because of an existing infection or disease. Medical grade gloves provide this ability to care for such patients. No longer do medical caregivers need to worry about contracting an infection while caring for a patient. Instead, obtaining medical gloves wholesale enables doctors, nurses, and caregivers to properly administer medical care regardless of the patient's current status due to the plethora of resources available.
Perhaps the most fantastic benefit of medical gloves is that gloves minimize the spread of infections from caregivers to patients. While most caregivers are very cautious about protecting their patients, even the most careful hand-washing techniques can lead to infections being spread and shared. Exam gloves offer a layer of protection in addition to the caregiver's skin. If you are providing care for a patient with an infectious disease, for example, and you have a cut on your hand, you're at risk for contracting that disease. Utilizing medical grade gloves anytime skin-to-skin contact occurs is an essential part of staying healthy and keeping patients and caregivers alike safe during required medical treatments and procedures.
What are some of the benefits to using gloves?
The primary benefit of utilizing throw away gloves is that it offers protection from pathogens during medical contact. Whether you're working in a patient's home, a medical center, or a dental office, pathogens and bacteria will be present. While some bacteria is normal and doesn't typically pose a threat, it's important to remember that patients with wounds may have compromised immune system that makes even the most ordinary of germs dangerous. Gloves should be worn just prior to caring for the patient and should be disposed of after the procedure is finished. Sometimes, changing gloves during care is also necessary.
In addition to proper hand-washing techniques, the use of medical grade gloves will reduce the transmission and spread of infections from one person to another, including other patients. It's absolutely vital that medical caregivers change gloves between seeing patients. Never pocket your gloves and re-use the same pair. Instead, properly dispose of your gloves after you care for a patient. This ensures that you don't spread infection from one patient to another, but it also protects you. Once you've treated a patient with a certain pair of gloves, germs and fluids can be present on the gloves. If you try to put them back on, you'll expose yourself to those germs.
Utilizing medical gloves also ensures that patients will receive proper wound care regardless of the state of the wound. Changing gloves during wound care is also an option when it comes to medical care and is sometimes a requirement in order to properly care for a certain wound or injury. For example, if your gloves becomes soiled, torn, or damaged, changing gloves during wound care becomes an essential part of caring for the patient. It's unsafe to continue using gloves once they have become damaged since this sacrifices the integrity of the glove.
Make sure you take care and focus on changing gloves during wound care if the need arises. Never postpone changing gloves during wound care. Changing gloves during wound care ensures that both you and the patient stay as safe, healthy, and comfortable as possible throughout the entire procedure. While you may be tempted to "hurry up and finish," always take the time to change your gloves during a procedure. It's better to use a second pair of gloves and keep everyone safe than to take a risk because you didn't want to stop.
How should gloves be used?
One of the most important things to remember about utilizing throw away gloves is that gloves are not designed to be worn indefinitely. Even durable medical grade gloves should be changed at regular intervals to protect both the patient and the caregiver. Remember that while gloves protect the spread of pathogens from one person to another, those germs gather on the glove itself. This means that proper utilization and disposable methods should be used at all times.
When you're using throw away gloves in a medical situation, it is essential that you:
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- Use a fresh pair of gloves for each patient you care for. Never re-use the same pair of gloves on multiple patients, as this can lead to the spread of infection for both you and them.
- Change your gloves if they become punctured, torn, or damaged in any way. While latex gloves are quite durable, it is possible for them to become damaged during use.
- Examine your gloves regularly to make sure they haven't become damaged or punctured. A hole in your glove can be very dangerous.
- Carefully dispose of gloves after use. Be cautious and aware of any secretions or fluids on the gloves while you dispose of them.
- Wash your hands before and after utilizing nitrile gloves while caring for patients. Washing your hands with soap and water is an essential part of making sure your patients are safe, cared for, and protected.
Remember that because nitrile gloves and latex gloves must be changed regularly, it's important that you keep plenty of gloves on hand at all times. If you don't keep an adequate supply of gloves available, you may be tempted to avoid changing your gloves as frequently as you should. This can be avoided by ordering your medical gloves wholesale.
What are the benefits of wholesale gloves?
Ordering medical gloves wholesale is one important way you can continue to offer reasonable, appropriate, and quality medical care for your patients. By choosing to purchase medical gloves wholesale, you'll ensure that your office always has a high quantity of both latex gloves and nitrile gloves available at all times. The right disposable gloves are an essential part of any medical practice, so make sure you choose medical gloves wholesale as much as possible.
In addition to providing a large amount of gloves when you order medical gloves wholesale, this practice of purchasing gloves at wholesale value also ensures you'll have a variety of gloves available for different medical technicians and patients. Did you know that some patients, for example, are allergic to latex? This means they won't be able to have nurses or doctors touching them while wearing latex gloves. During this type of situation, utilizing a different type of glove becomes an essential part of patient care. Will you have enough gloves on hand if a patient with a latex glove allergy comes into your clinic? Ordering medical gloves wholesale ensures you will.
You may find that the benefits of wholesale gloves include:
- You'll have a large amount of gloves available.
- You'll have a variety of different sized gloves available for use.
- Obtaining different types of gloves is simple.
- You'll save money and reduce your overall costs by purchasing in bulk.
The most important thing to remember while purchasing gloves for your office or clinic is that proper use of gloves can save lives. Obtaining high-quality, durable and disposable gloves is a valuable and effective way to offer the utmost quality in patient care. Whether you're caring for patients in their homes or in a hospital situation, make sure you have plenty of gloves available and that you and all of your staff members know how to utilize them fully and properly.
Further Reading
Indications and the requirements for single-use medical gloves
Why were surgical gloves not used earlier?
Relevance of surgical gloves in minor surgical procedures
On to you
Whether you’re just exploring options for wholesale medical gloves or were looking to get educated, what additional questions do you have? Since topics vary from patient to patient, we’re here to help answer your questions. Feel free to leave us a comment below or call us directly.
-Marc Kaplan
CEO, Save Rite Medical
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Whether its buying products or researching information, CEO of Save Rite Medical, Marc Kaplan, is here to help. Founded on a vision to serve to community, Save Rite Medical provides the greatest services online.
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