Medical Gloves: Types, Functions and Selection Guide

Medical gloves are indispensable personal protective equipment in the medical field, and they come in a wide variety of types, which can be categorized into several categories based on different materials, uses and functions. The following is a detailed introduction to the various types of medical gloves:

 1. Categorized by usage scenarios
- Examination gloves: Mainly used for non-invasive operations, such as patient care, oral examination, etc. These gloves are usually thin and provide a basic level of protection. These gloves are usually thin and provide basic protection against cross infection.
- Surgical Gloves: Used for invasive surgical operations, they are more demanding, with better puncture resistance and tear resistance to protect the surgical staff and patients from infection.

 2. Categorized by material
- Natural latex gloves: made of natural rubber latex, with good elasticity and softness, suitable for most medical operations. However, some people may be allergic to latex protein.
- Nitrile gloves: made of nitrile rubber latex, not easy to cause allergy, suitable for healthcare workers who are allergic to latex. Meanwhile, nitrile gloves have better chemical resistance and puncture resistance.
- Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Gloves: relatively inexpensive and suitable for protective situations that require cost-effective protection, but less elastic and durable than latex and nitrile gloves.
- Polyethylene (PE) gloves: usually for single use, suitable for situations requiring basic protection, such as cleaning.

 3. Surface treatment classification
- Powdered Gloves: Powder is added during the processing of gloves, usually for ease of donning. However, the powder may cause allergic reactions, so it is safer to use powder-free gloves in some applications.
- Powder-free gloves: No additional powder material is added during the glove manufacturing process to make them easier to wear, and they are suitable for patients who are allergic to powders or for applications that require a dust-free environment.

 4. Special Function Gloves
- Double-layer, two-color gloves: Once the outer layer is broken, the inner layer color is immediately visible, providing an immediate visual warning and enhancing safety.
- Deproteinized Gloves: Reduces the amount of protein in the glove, reducing the risk of allergies and suitable for procedures requiring a high purity environment.
- Extended Thickness Gloves: Designed for orthopedic and gynecological surgeries to provide extra protection and durability.

 5. Application value
Medical gloves not only provide protection during surgery and examination, but also have a variety of other uses, such as protecting researchers from infection in laboratories, ensuring food hygiene and safety in the food processing industry, and preventing the spread of infection in daily life.

 6 Selection and use
When selecting suitable medical gloves, one needs to consider the nature of the operation, the material of the gloves, the need for aseptic treatment and whether the individual is allergic to certain materials. After use, medical gloves should be discarded immediately to prevent cross-contamination.