Medical professionals should have an understanding as to when to Don Gloves. If gloves are donned to early, they can come in contact with infectious organisms that patient’s visitors have left behind. One other misconception would be that the outside of the packaging material for sterile equipment is also sterile. These packages are exposed to the elements, so the only thing that is sterile would be the equipment inside the package. If you don your gloves before you open the packages, you could possibly introduce any organisms on the package to the patient. Donning gloves should be done once all of the required supplies have been setup.

Gloves should only be used on one portion of the patient’s body. If the latex gloves are used to change a bandage they should not be used to draw blood. If you have to perform both procedures, complete one then wash your hands and Don a new pair of latex gloves. These practices will protect the medical professional and the patient.

All exam gloves can and do degrade — either because of rigorous use, inappropriate storage or simply due to the passage of time. Degradation can reduce the performance of the glove material, threatening the safety of healthcare workers and their patients.

That’s why it’s important to recognize when gloves have undergone too much wear and tear.

Degradation, in technical terms, is the reduction of the physical properties of a glove. Some common indicators of exam glove deterioration include:

• Hardening marked by brittleness
• Softening with the extension of the fingertips
• Tackiness
• Cracking
• Loss of strength
• Less tear resistance

If you see any of these signs, discard the exam gloves properly and put on a new pair.

Every year about this time, volunteer crews take to the beaches, rivers and lakes to clean-up trash and debris. It’s a sure sign that spring has sprung and summer is just around the corner.

Don The Glove has been a proud supporter of these clean up efforts, donating cases of latex gloves to many wonderful organizations including, the Nantucket Soundkeepers in Massachusetts, the San Francisco Surfriders and the Black Warrior Riverkeepers in Alabama. If you are a member of a similar not-for-profit organization and are in need of a case of gloves for clean-up efforts, feel free to contact us. We do our best to donate to as many worthy causes as possible.

Here’s a little fellow doing more than his fair share. A few more years and he will have grown into our latex gloves!

We get enough phone calls about how to order the correct size exam glove, that we thought it might be good to clarify.  Here’s a quick primer on how to measure:

1. Using a flexible tape measure, measure the circumference of your hand at it’s widest section.  Take the measurement in inches.
2. Determine the following:

• If your measurement is between 7 and 8 inches, order “small”
• If your measurement is between 8 and 9 inches, order “medium”
• If your measurement is between 9 and 10 inches, order “large”
• If your measurement is between 10 and 11 inches, order “extra large”

Also, please note that if you are ordering nitrile or synthetic exam gloves, they tend to run small. You may want to consider sizing up, especially if your measurement is on the edge of a range.

Hope this helps.

Students at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania recently participated in a World Vision community service project. The students created and packed Caregiver Kits to be given to family members and volunteers who support people living with AIDS. Don The Glove Industries was happy to donate medical latex gloves for this effort.

If there are other philanthropic causes in need of medical glove donations, please contact us and we will definitely consider your request.