How To Know if Your Gloves Are Medical Grade? – Signs to Look for

For protecting healthcare personnel, medical grade examination gloves are essential. Moreover, these gloves protect the person wearing them from exposure to illnesses, infection, and bodily fluids during examinations and medical procedures.

However, you will not find every glove to be suitable for medical use. Furthermore, medical facilities need to ensure they are using gloves that are medically graded, and these are different from industrial, general-purpose, and food service gloves.

• Terminology
• Rating
• Check the FDA

It’s essential to choose the right kind of medical grade examination gloves for your healthcare facility as this can make the environment safer, and healthier, and bring out a more productive outcome.

4 Signs

Consider several factors in your search to determine that the gloves are medical-grade. Read on to learn more.

Search for Certain Terminology in the Product Description

The product label and description have all the information you need before purchasing medical gloves. Medical-grade gloves should meet certain standards set by regulatory bodies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States or the European Commission. Similarly, you can look for labels or markings that indicate compliance with relevant standards. For example:

• Exam
• For Medical Use
• Medical Examination Gloves
• Patient Examination Gloves

Examine Packaging

Medical-grade examination gloves are typically packaged differently from regular gloves. Moreover, they often come in individually sealed packages. Hence, this maintains the sterility of the gloves until they are ready to be used. The packaging should clearly state that the gloves are intended for medical use. Similarly, it could also include information about the manufacturer, lot number, and expiration date.

Material and Thickness

Medical-grade gloves are commonly made from latex, nitrile, or vinyl. Thus, each material has its own advantages and considerations. Latex gloves offer excellent tactile sensitivity and fit, but some people may be allergic to latex proteins.

Medical-grade exam gloves come in three different materials, including:

• Latex
• Vinyl
• Nitrile

Moreover, Nitrile gloves provide a good alternative, as they are hypoallergenic and offer excellent resistance to punctures and chemicals. Vinyl gloves are often used for low-risk tasks but may not provide the same level of durability as latex or nitrile.

In addition to the material, the thickness of the gloves is also important. Similarly, Medical-grade gloves are usually thicker than regular gloves to ensure better protection.

Textured Fingertips

Another characteristic of medical-grade gloves is the presence of textured fingertips. Moreover, these textured surfaces enhance grip. Hence, allowing healthcare professionals to handle delicate instruments and perform procedures with precision. Regular gloves may lack this feature, as they are not designed for medical applications.

Resistance to Permeation

Medical-grade gloves must provide a barrier against microorganisms, chemicals, and bodily fluids. They should be tested and certified for their resistance to permeation by various substances. Furthermore, look for information about permeation resistance on the packaging or consult the manufacturer’s specifications.

Consider the Price

It’s obvious that gloves that are medically graded cost more. Moreover, the strict testing requirements and the cost of the manufacturer add up a lot. Additionally, better materials are used in the manufacturing the production of medical-grade examination gloves.

They offer benefits such as:

• Protection against a wide range of substances, including chemicals, infectious agents, biohazardous material, and other potentially hazardous pollutants.
• It has more dexterity and touch sensitivity than non-exam gloves
• Better grip for workers using the medical-grade gloves