Are Vinyl Gloves Safe For Medical Use

Despite its advantages latex gloves have become an issue for many health professionals due to the increasing rate of latex allergies and many are choosing to go with non latex glove options such as vinyl and nitrile gloves instead.

Are vinyl gloves safe for medical use.

There are three different types of medical gloves in common use latex vinyl and nitrile. Plus it s one of the best options for people with allergies. Vinyl gloves are also less expensive than nitrile and latex gloves. Medical exam gloves are used to protect the health of the patient and caregiver.

A number of studies suggest that pvc medical gloves are not as robust a barrier to bloodborne pathogens as other gloves. Vinyl gloves are stronger than polyethylene gloves and offer greater comfort for jobs like food preparation bussing and cleaning where gloves will be worn for a greater period of time. Never wash or disinfect medical gloves. As medical gloves are single use items glove decontamination and reprocessing are not recommended and should be avoided even if it is common practice in many health care settings with low resources and where glove supply is limited.

Powder free disposable gloves medium 100 pack nitrile and vinyl blend material extra strong 4 mil thick latex free food safe blue medical exam gloves cleaning gloves 4 1 out of 5 stars 1 021. At present no standardized validated and affordable procedure for safe glove reprocessing exists. But weston cautions against feeling that gloves will automatically keep you safe. Never reuse medical gloves.

Since the primary reason for wearing medical gloves is for barrier protection one must carefully consider the barrier performance in selecting gloves. Nitrile is a great general purpose material that is commonly used for exams especially on patients with latex allergies. Medical gloves were designed to serve as protective barriers and may still offer some protection even when they are used beyond the manufacturer s designated shelf life or expiration date. They offer a protective barrier between any contagion that the caregiver may be carrying as well as what the patient may have.

Never share medical gloves with other users. Vinyl gloves which are made from pvc polyvinyl chloride are usually the cheapest latex free gloves. Vinyl gloves are may also be worn for less tactile work but keep in mind that they are usually less durable than latex gloves. While using vinyl gloves two things to consider include the following.