Providing essential protection from bacteria and disease, latex gloves are an important piece of equipment in medical facilities around the world. From your local GP to dentists, hospitals and more, medical gloves are widely used by various medical professionals for their many uses and benefits.
In this article, we look at how latex gloves have developed over the years, and why they are still so important in medical facilities.
The Development of Latex Medical Gloves
Medical gloves first came into use at the famed American medical school Johns Hopkins University, thanks to the school’s first Surgeon in Chief, William Stewart Halsted.
Halsted’s research into germs led him to investigate the use of sterilised materials on his hands when treating patients. In previous centuries, infections were easily passed between patient and doctor, with diseases spreading quickly in these environments, and causing further damage to the patient.
Wearing some type of gloves, Halsted reasoned, would protect both doctors and patients from various diseases that are easily spread through contact. This innovation led to the widespread use of latex gloves at Johns Hopkins, and eventually elsewhere.
Making Disposable Medical Latex Gloves
These early medical gloves were made from latex, and were non-disposable, with doctors and other medical practitioners washing the gloves between uses. Some latex gloves were even dipped in carbolic acid to disinfect them!
Disposable latex gloves were first brought to the market in the 1960s, offering two clear benefits over the established multi-use gloves. Firstly, disposable gloves did not require any maintenance, making it easier for doctors and nurses to administer treatment quickly.
Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, disposable gloves eliminated the risk of cross-contamination between patients, meaning that diseases can’t spread as easily when doctors treat multiple patients.
The Choice of Materials
Early multi-use and disposable gloves were all made from latex, not least because of their cost. Another advantage of latex is its durability, offering an effective layer of protection between doctor and patient.
While latex is still used, there are now a variety of additional materials to choose from when buying disposable medical gloves for your facility.
It is important that whatever material is chosen, the disposable medical gloves must be strong and sturdy enough for practical use, and cheap enough to be bought in bulk and disposed of quickly and efficiently.
In addition to medical latex gloves, Galleon Supplies carries a wide range of medical gloves to help improve hygiene in medical facilities.
Disposable nitrile gloves are one of our most popular products and are widely used in medical fields, as well as other client-facing roles that require good hygiene, such as food preparation. We also carry disposable gloves made from synthetic powder-free vinyl, as well as natural latex rubber.
Whatever the material, all of our disposable medical gloves ensure high levels of hygiene and affordability in your medical facility.
