Introduction
Gloves are the most common medical supplies that every doctor and nurse uses to avoid contact with bacteria or pathogens in patients. But there are some guidelines you should keep in mind before using gloves for medical purposes.
Gloves should be disinfected before use.
Gloves should be disinfected before use. If you’re working with a patient or a patient’s family, all your equipment must be sterile and ready for use. This includes the gloves you’re about to wear.
If you’re using gloves for medical purposes, they must be cleaned and disinfected before use. There are several reasons why this is recommended:
- Cleanliness – To maintain a high level of cleanliness while wearing gloves during medical procedures
- Safety – To prevent bacteria from spreading from one person to another through contact with infected surfaces such as doorknobs or bedpans.
- Protection – For yourself! Your hands need protection so that they don’t become irritated or sore from being overexposed during extended periods without taking breaks away from whatever task may require them at hand (e.g., surgery).
Be careful when removing gloves so that you don’t touch the contaminated outer surface with your skin.
When removing gloves, it’s important not to touch the contaminated outer surface with your skin. This is because you could spread contamination from the outside of the glove to your hands or other parts of your body. To remove gloves safely:
- Make sure you are wearing another pair of gloves on top of them.
- Grasp the cuff with one gloved hand and pull off both layers together, ensuring that you don’t touch any part of the inner surface with bare skin.
Dispose of used gloves after each patient care episode or other activity when direct patient contact occurs.
Dispose of used gloves after each patient care episode or other activity when direct patient contact occurs.
- Put the gloves in a waste container. If you don’t have a waste container, place them in a plastic bag and dispose of them in the trash. Do not touch the contaminated outer surface of the gloves with your bare hands as this may transmit pathogens to yourself or others; however, if you must handle them, do so by grasping only their cuffs with one hand while holding onto an object that won’t be contaminated by touching it (such as another glove) with your free hand.
All discarded gloves should be placed in a waste container.
You should always place used gloves in a separate waste container. This is especially important if you use gloves multiple times. It also helps to label the waste containers so everyone knows what they are for. If possible, try to use a marked “used glove” container for disposal needs; this will prevent confusion among staff members.
We have to take proper precautions while using gloves.
To prevent the spread of infection, you must use gloves as a barrier against microorganisms. While wearing sterile gloves, you should not wear them as a protection against hand contamination or to replace handwashing.
- Don’t wear gloves if they are torn or broken. It will reduce their effectiveness in preventing the transmission of microorganisms between yourself and your patient or other individuals (e.g., healthcare workers).
- Ensure your hands are clean before putting on sterile or non-sterile gloves. If there is any dirt under your nails, your cuticles need trimming beforehand too! Similarly, if you have been exposed to bloodborne pathogens (e.g., HIV or Hepatitis B) within seven days before donning the medical gloves, these shouldn’t be used unless washed thoroughly first (see how we wash our hands here).
Conclusion
In summary, gloves play an important role in medical treatment. They protect our hands from germs, provide a sterile environment for the patient and help to prevent infections. Ensure they are properly washed, disinfected and disposed of after use.
