Doctors, nurses and other medical professionals use medical gloves so that they won't be in contact with any infectious diseases. These have been successful in protecting a health worker and a sick person. In order to determine the type of glove that will provide the most protection, it is important to understand the various levels of risks that each case may involve. Hospitals are breeding grounds of various biocontaminants which can cause diseases at varying strengths. It is important to analyze the risks posed by each medical situation to determine which type of glove is best used.

Doctors, nurses and other medical professionals use medical gloves so that they won't be in contact with any infectious diseases. These have been successful in protecting a health worker and a sick person. However, it's critical to understand the various levels of risks that each case may involve in order to determine the type of glove that will provide the most protection. Hospitals are breeding grounds of various biocontaminants which can cause diseases at varying strengths. It is important to analyze the risks posed by each medical situation to determine which type of glove is best used.

Low-risk medical conditions include those that do no involve body fluid contact between health professional and patient, and where the patient has no cuts or breaks in the skin. One example is a nurse dispensing medications, a cafeteria attendant handling food, an orderly transporting a patient on a wheelchair, and a doctor conducting a routine physical exam. These can be handled well with the use of vinyl or latex gloves.

In a medium-risk medical setting, there is body fluid contact relating to the care provider and the patient and there are factors that could lead to the puncture of gloves. This type of setting will involve invasive procedures such as IV insertions or injections, rectal exams, dressing of wounds and care for an incontinent patient. Nitrile, latex and neoprene are three glove types that are strongly suggested to supply maximum protection for both the sick person and the caregiver.

Those where a patient is positive or suspected positive for HIV and other serious, contagious diseases, where the caregiver is assigned in the ICU or emergency department and where a patient is brought in for chemotherapy are high risk medical situations. For example, when handling substances used for chemotherapy, the caregiver should wear puncture-resistant gloves to protect himself against radioactive agents that will be used during the session. Latex, nitrile and neoprene gloves are highly recommended because of their strength and effectiveness against punctures for these situations.

In addition to risk aspects, health care professionals may also choose gloves depending on their reaction to the materials used. Latex gloves may be the most common and durable among all other types. But a lot of people are allergic to latex. So they may use neoprene or isoprene to substitute it. These offer the same protection but not the risk of developing allergen hypersensitivity.