Problem/Solution: If the Glove Fits

The infection control industry is one that is constantly developing as we learn new and more effective ways of protecting ourselves, our staff, and our customers/patients.  In fact, the CDC didn’t introduce the concept of universal precautions until 1985.  As product develop and become more widespread, we are also learning about the lasting impact of various tools of the trade.  A research piece on gloves recently got us thinking about our role in educating customers and ensuring we offer the right products to fit their needs.  We start with gloves.

The Problem

Have you ever accidentally bought a shirt or shoes that are just a tad small? But you wear it anyway because you spent the money on it? It’s normal, but in some instances, not a good idea. And that sentiment just happens to align with a problem that came to our attention recently. Personal protection equipment (PPE) is one of the most important things for medical practices. It’s your shield against the harm that can potentially befall you if not covered properly. But it also maintains the safety of the patients you work with.

So when finding PPE for your job or practice, you need to ensure that it’s right for you. Whether it’s the specs on what it does, if it fits your budget, or, if it even fits you at all. It’s no surprise that tight-fitting anything can be a bad thing for the body. Wearing something that doesn’t fit can lead to complications, possibly severe or fatal ones at that. 

RDH wrote an article detailing the story of a hygienist who ran into an issue like this. In 2001, a hygienist went to take a CE course, but before the course even began, issues arose. She experienced excruciating hand pain, to the point of consulting a chiropractor. Even after a consultation, the origin of the pain remained a mystery. She got wind of the discussion of glove fitting at the time. And she correlated her hand pains to the recent switch of her office’s glove brand. The gloves she had gotten from the switch didn’t actually fit, and this resulted in an ailment that definitely wouldn’t have been healthy for the long term. The article states this glove fit issue created “dangerous compression on delicate nerves, blood vessels, tendons, ligaments, muscles, and bones.” And after she switched brands, the pain stopped. 

The Study

She’s not the only one with this problem, however, as about 9 years later, a study was conducted that had some interesting results. In 2010, 247 clinicians took an online survey about gloves. The takeaway was this: 51% of them reported hand fatigue from using improper fitting gloves. Nearly 10% used whatever was provided. A quarter of them reported that they purchase their own gloves. And 5% said they’d continue to use whatever their office provided. And nearly half of the respondents used non-latex gloves. Which was about 10% higher than national average at the time of the survey. 

The same RDH article continued to say that they had no idea nitrile was in the middle of a breakthrough. But that even with that, some people were complaining a the time that nitrile gloves were still too thick. Even with the durability and enhanced dexterity over others, nitrile gloves lacked options. 

But if it’s nitrile options you’re looking for, we know where you can start looking. 

The Halyard Solution We Offer

Latex gloves have the same benefits as standard gloves, but with downsides for more people than you think. Latex allergies can be a problem, but thanks to Halyard, not one that’s going to hold you back. With Halyard’s vast variety of nitrile glove options, you’ve got better benefits than normal gloves, without the allergies. Improved dexterity, durability, form fitting factor that can form to your hand through body heat. Creating a comfortable, flexible, yet durable and textured shield able to help you take on the challenged of the job. And they come in varying sizes like your standard small to large, and some from extra-small to extra-large. Ensuring a perfect fit every time. Nitrile gloves are the solution to a problem that’s long since plagued the industry. And we’d like to show you how those past problems are just that, a thing of the past. 

For example, if you want thinner gloves, keeping nitrile’s standard durability but with nothing fancy, try Halyard’s Aquasoft Nitrile Exam Gloves. Perfect for the everyday use.

The Aquasoft Nitrile Gloves are Halyard’s aqua blue nitrile glove. Using their SmartPull packaging, and using nitrile to form fit to your hand. Out of the box, just like the rest, Halyard shows you why they’re one of the best. While they are sporting the strength of nitrile, these gloves are lightweight, and are meant for general purpose examinations. And compared to some of the others we’re going to show you, these are relatively standard nitrile gloves. 

Or, for example, if you want a thicker glove, with a double-layered shield perhaps, halyard can do that too. With their Black-Fire Nitrile gloves. 

Halyard’s Black-Fire gloves are one of the coolest looking gloves of its kind. And that impressive look isn’t just for show. These gloves have that signature nitrile strength in two different, reversible, black and orange layers. Thanks to Halyard’s Quick Check tech, if the black layer tears, then the orange layer will be visible. This indicator helps more quickly verify if your glove’s defense layer is compromised and allows for a fast acting fix. Not only that, but the gloves being reversible allows a more wide variety of jobs with the orange layer having uses in its own right. Halyard used the bright orange layer as a good example for someone needing to see your hands or theirs in more dimly lit or darker areas. Things both inside the medical sector and beyond. They even advertised being able to direct traffic with the orange layer.

And aside from just these two examples, Halyard has many more kinds of gloves for many more kinds of jobs! And you can browse Halyard’s entire collection of nitrile gloves here on our website.