Barrier Protection (Gloves) - How Effective And Safe Are They? Medical staff are continuously at risk of infection from agents such as hepatitis B and C and HIV whilst they provide care and medical intervention for others.They therefore have a pressing need to protect themselves, especially when in contact with contaminated blood and bodily fluids during the course of their work. There are more than 90,000 needle-stick accidents in UK hospitals each year, two-thirds of which are suffered by nursing staff. The use of appropriate medical gloves can provide one such protective measure. However, given that the ability to provide effective barrier protection varies between glove manufacturers and glove materials, caution should be exercised to avoid use of gloves with reduced barrier properties that could expose healthcare professionals and their patients to undesirable health risks. It is vital that healthcare professionals stay abreast of the most up-to-date information regarding the effectiveness and safety of the gloves they choose to use. This article briefly reviews the results of comparative studies by US researchers on the barrier effectiveness of currently available gloves, as well as identifying health risks such as latex protein allergy and chemical toxicity associated with the use of some gloves. It also discusses the dramatic reductions in latex protein allergy in workplaces through the use of the new generation of low-protein-latex gloves, as reported by hospital studies in the US, Europe, and Canada, thus making it possible for the majority of glove users to continue to rely on the proven barrier protection of latex gloves without heightened allergy concern. The recent Standard Malaysian Glove (SMG) certification program is also highlighted; this program helps users to identify quality low-protein gloves that offer good barrier protection with low latex allergy risks. Important Glove Selection Factors Proper selection of a particular type of gloves is an important factor in maximizing the protection provided against potentially dangerous infections. Importance variables that should be considered as having an influence on the barrier properties and effectiveness of medical gloves include the following: Barrier protection-this is the single most important criterion for glove selection in the care industry. The main reason for wearing gloves is to seek protection against blood pathogens and other infections. The gloves to be used must therefore have effective barrier capability. It is therefore vital that office managers review the thickness of gloves, and sample products first, before introducing them into practice. Seam strength and thickness should be more important than {cost|price. Comfort and appropriate fit-this is defined as the ability of gloves to stretch and conform to the hands, as well the softness of the gloves. Failure in any of these areas could lead to hand fatigue, hampering hand movements in a medical procedure and thus compromising the ability of the gloves to provide effective barrier protection. Tactile sensitivity-this is especially important during delicate medical or surgical procedures, where poor tactile feel could impede the delicate operations concerned. Durability-poor durability would not only compromise barrier effectiveness, but also involve higher volume usage of gloves and increased costs. Cost-effectiveness-this is particularly important when large volume usages are involved. Latest figures from the NHS reveal that 2 million gloves are used in the UK each year. Ensuring Effective Barrier Protection While specific tasks and procedures will dictate the type of glove required, the single most important criterion in glove selection is barrier protection against viral transmission and other harmful infections. The ability of gloves to provide effective barrier protection is an important prerequisite for selection. To date, considerable scientific data regarding barrier protection are available, especially for the most commonly used materials: 1) latex, 2) vinyl, 3) nitrile, 4) polychloropren The advent of low-protein-latex gloves has provided hospitals with an option that not only is cost-effective, but also offers a safety oriented work environment. This makes it possible: for the majority of healthcare personnel who are not latex-allergic to continue to rely on the best possible barrier protection offered by latex gloves; to avoid latex protein sensitization among healthcare personnel; and to allow many latex-allergic individuals to wear gloves to work in hospitals without heightened allergy concerns. There are a great number of articles and papers on the above subject. This article serves to help promote awareness of the key issues surrounding the purchase of gloves, so that healthcare providers are as informed as possible, when the times comes to purchase healthcare supplies.
Posted on: Sun, 04 Aug 2013 17:27:54 +0000
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