ASC Spotlight - Q2 2019 - 14

GLOVES

Do Disinfectants Present a Risk for the Safety of Medical Gloves?
cont'd
Protective Gloves
In the health sector, gloves of different materials are used
depending on the activity. They all have one thing in
common: They protect hands from contamination, injury,
and pollutants.
Correct Use and Selection Criteria
All the required tests are oriented toward the intended
use-if the tested gloves are used for the intended
purpose, their protective function is guaranteed to the
wearer. The user in turn must observe the relevant rules
of application and regulations for use of the gloves.
These are also set out in laws and therefore relevant with
regard to liability. The accident prevention regulation,
for example, states that "protective gloves must not be
exposed to any influences that could impair their safe
condition (e.g., chemicals, or even extreme temperatures,
for which they are not suited)."
In addition to the purpose, the choice of glove is also
based on the type and level of risks, exposure, and skin
compatibility. In gloves that are exposed to mechanical
stress, properties such as tear resistance, elasticity and
abrasion are important. When handling sharp and pointed
objects, perforation resistance is important. Where gloves
come into contact with chemicals, impermeability, and
resistance are essential. Where there is a risk of infection,
tactile properties and tear resistance are important in
addition to impermeability.
Contamination Protection and Impairment
The protective integrity of gloves is closely linked to
material, wall thickness, and conditions of use. Even the
best gloves cannot offer absolute protection from hand
contamination, since microbes can reach the skin when
the gloves are taken off or through small glove defects.
Therefore, the hands must be disinfected properly before
and after using gloves. Gloves can be damaged-e.g.,
by high stress, instruments, chemicals, long wearing
time, sweat, grease, or water-often without even being
noticed. Therefore, a regular change of gloves, as
also recommended by the WHO and the CDC, is very
important in order to prevent infection.

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To Order: 1.800.P.SCHEIN (1.800.772.4346) 8am-8:30pm, et

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Gloves and Disinfectants
Thin-walled disposable medical gloves are designed
neither for repeated use, nor for disinfection tasks. Nor
are there any normative regulations for this. Practice has
shown; however, that depending on their material, gloves
can withstand many disinfectants for some time, or at
least offer protection from splashes.
Disinfection Resistance of Gloves
To evaluate the resistance of gloves, you have to
distinguish between degradation, penetration, and
permeation first. Degradation is a physical impairment
of the glove material due to the effect of chemicals.
Penetration is the passage of substances through
macroscopic holes. Permeation is the passage of
substances in the molecular range (i.e., the molecules
are absorbed by the outer surface, diffuse, and are then
released onto the skin on the inside).
Glove Behavior
Degradation makes the gloves useless-they become
sticky, stiff, wider or brittle, form creases on the fingers,
or tear-the user notices the damage and can change
gloves. Permeation, on the other hand, is unnoticeable;
the glove becomes leaky gradually. Disinfectants weaken
the glove material and thus the resistance properties and
protective effect of the glove. As a result, contamination is
possible.
How a glove reacts to disinfectant depends on a
number of factors:
* Handling of the disinfectant
* Quantity and concentration used
* Active ingredients and additives in the disinfectant
* Glove material, wall thickness, and type
* Glove exposure (mechanical, thermal, stretching?)
* Area and time of use of the glove
* Intensity and duration of contact with chemicals
(splashes, spraying, immersion?)
* Solvent medium of the chemical (solid, liquid, gas?)

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19MS4306
ASC Spotlight - Q2 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ASC Spotlight - Q2 2019
