The gloves that saved humanity. #Don’tLetTheVirusWin
The first ones were made of leather and were already in use in the nineteenth century. Over the course of history, they found increasingly wider application. They accompanied midwives, surgeons, and infectious disease specialists. In 1987, for the first time in the history of medicine, the U.S. recommended their use in all patient contact. Today, their use has extended beyond healthcare needs—we all wear them every day to protect ourselves from SARS-CoV-2 infection. What should you know about medical and protective gloves?
The History of Medical and Protective Gloves
The first medical gloves used by doctors were made of leather or knitted fabric. They were first used by Dr. Johann Waldbaum in 1758 for fetal manipulation.
In the early 19th century, medical gloves were increasingly used in surgical and obstetric procedures as a means of preventing infection. However, even in the 1890s, surgeons did not routinely use them during operations.
In 1890, William Stewart Halsted ordered the first rubber medical gloves from the Goodyear Rubber Company. To this day, he is recognized as their first popularizer, and the company as the first industrial manufacturer.
One of the first surgeons in the history of global medicine and the first Polish doctor to use medical gloves—made of cotton—was Prof. Jan Mikulicz-Radecki, head of the surgical clinic at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków. This took place in 1887.
The widespread use of medical gloves in medical practice began during World War I, from 1914 to 1918, during life-saving procedures on wounded frontline soldiers.
In 1987, for the first time in the history of medicine, their use was recommended in all patient interactions. This took place in the U.S.
In 2020, for the first time in human history, medical gloves began to be used outside the healthcare sector—on a massive scale and globally. The reason is the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
What gloves protect against
There are between 100 and 100,000 bacterial colonies on just 1 square centimeter of human skin. The total surface area of the skin ranges from 1.5 to 2 square meters, or 20,000 square centimeters. This means that our entire body, at any given moment, can be covered by as many as 2,000,000,000 colonies.
Our hands are the primary means of transmitting all pathogens, viruses, and bacteria into the body. On average, we touch our faces 23 times per hour.
Viruses and bacteria can remain on our hands for 2 to 60 minutes, while on protective gloves for up to 4 hours!
Proper use of an effective hand sanitizer kills up to 99.999% of bacteria and 99.99% of viruses and fungi. However, the process must be repeated within 5 hours of this action, as the number of microorganisms on the skin returns to its initial level.
Selecting and Properly Using Protective Gloves
Medical and protective gloves do not replace hand hygiene; they only supplement it. Proper washing with water and good soap (20–30 seconds each time), followed by the use of an effective virucidal agent with a URPBWMiPL approval number (2x30 ml for 30 seconds) provides protection against the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Before putting on medical protective gloves, wash and disinfect your hands. This step must be repeated without fail after removing them.
Disposable gloves have an expiration date that should be noted. The material from which they are made loses its protective properties over time. Their standard shelf life is 2 to 5 years.
Medical and protective gloves become unusable as a result of improper storage. Proper storage conditions include keeping them at least one meter away from heating devices and chemicals, in a dry and shaded place, at a temperature between 5 and 35 degrees Celsius.
It is better to choose powder-free medical and protective gloves, as the talc present can cause skin irritation and easily stain clothing. Additionally, latex is a protein, which means it can trigger allergies.
The most important factors in selecting the right medical and protective gloves are size and fit. These factors affect comfort and the effectiveness of protection against pathogens. The best way to determine the right size is to measure the circumference of your hand at its widest point, just above the thumb. It is also important to have a cuff that is at least 6 centimeters wide to prevent microorganisms from entering.
It is recommended to replace medical protective gloves with a new pair after approximately 90 minutes or upon contact with contamination. Additionally, it is important not to reuse the same pair. During prolonged wear, it is recommended to change gloves, as the material they are made of may lose its properties and become loose due to hand perspiration and body temperature.
If the material of the medical protective gloves tears during use, they must be replaced with new ones immediately, after thoroughly washing and properly disinfecting your hands.
During prolonged use of medical protective gloves, proper hand care is essential. The inner material rubbing against the skin can cause severe dryness. Therefore, remember to apply moisturizing and emollient creams to your hands.
When removing protective gloves, do not touch the outer surface. The correct, safe technique for removing them is demonstrated in a video by epidemiologist Dr. Waldemar Ferschke from Medisept.
How are protective gloves made?
The production of medical and protective gloves takes between 20 and 40 minutes, and quality control in accordance with ISO standards should be conducted at every stage.
Medical and protective gloves intended for use in healthcare facilities must meet a number of standards, undergo testing, and be certified. The requirements concern physical properties (length, width, tear strength, microperforations) and shelf life. Therefore, they are tested for resistance to microbial penetration, chemical permeation and leakage, and mechanical damage (puncture, abrasion, and tearing).
The most common raw material used in the production of medical and protective gloves is latex derived from Hevea brasiliensis, a rubber tree native to South America and East Asia. Latex gloves are environmentally friendly: they are made from a natural raw material, making them fully biodegradable. However, they can cause severe allergic reactions when in contact with sensitive skin.
Vinyl gloves, made from the common PVC (polyvinyl chloride), are readily available and effective at protecting against pathogens, though they do not adhere to the skin. They are available with a collagen-lined inner surface, which improves the condition of dry skin on the hands.
Nitrile gloves, made from synthetic rubber, are the most resistant to mechanical damage, punctures, or tears, and also exhibit the highest resistance to chemicals.
Plastic gloves, made of thin polyethylene (PE) or slightly thicker high-density polyethylene (HDPE), are the cheapest and most commonly used in grocery stores. Their biggest drawback is their poor fit on the hand and lack of flexibility (high risk of damage). They are skin-neutral.
Protective gloves and the environment
Global production of medical and protective gloves reached 270 billion units in April 2020, and demand—which grew alongside the surge in cases—nearly tripled that number.
Even before the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the problem of plastic accumulating in the seas and oceans was staggering. Scientists have estimated that as much as 10 million tons of plastic is currently in the seas and oceans, and by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish.
An island of plastic waste with an area nearly the size of Poland—over 312,000 square kilometers—floats in the Atlantic Ocean.
Disposable masks, gloves, and disinfectant containers—the very items meant to protect us from the coronavirus—often end up on streets, in forests, and in seas and oceans after use. The biggest problem is people’s ignorance regarding the proper disposal of protective gear.
Let’s remember: the viral environment and the natural environment are inextricably linked. Changes in living conditions on Earth can trigger the emergence of new pathogen strains, and thus lead to further pandemics. The more protective gloves currently used end up in the environment, the greater the chance of another global pandemic.
THAT IS WHY YOU SHOULD ALWAYS DISPOSE OF USED PROTECTIVE GLOVES IN MIXED WASTE BINS. #Don’tLetTheVirusWin
