Dr. Huynh Minh Tuan – Head of Infection Control Department at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy – said that not only for COVID-19 testing, but also for all other infectious diseases, medical staff are medical gloves must be worn. The purpose of using gloves during sampling is to protect the safety of both the healthcare worker and the person being sampled.

According to Decision 5188 QD-BYT dated December 14, 2020 of the Ministry of Health on guiding the prevention and control of COVID-19 infection, applied at medical examination and treatment facilities. Including regulations on wearing medical gloves during sampling, medical staff must wear two layers, the first layer (inner layer) is medical gloves that are always kept clean, avoiding contact with the device. dirty tool. After each collection, each person must change into medical gloves, to ensure that the sampler and staff are not infected with the virus.

Currently, in the complicated epidemic situation, the sampling in the community is high, the number of people taking samples is large, making it impossible for many people to go to the hospital to take samples. The Ministry of Health has issued Official Letter No. 5063/BYT-DP on the use of PPE when taking samples for COVID-19 testing, on June 24, 2021.

The official dispatch has regulations on the use of protective gear during sampling, stating that when taking samples, medical staff use a pair of gloves and disinfect with alcohol solution after each sampling to prevent infection. cross contamination. To increase work efficiency and shorten operation time, instead of having to change new gloves, medical staff can use alcohol to disinfect. According to regulations, the alcohol solution used to disinfect has an alcohol content of 60-80%, if the alcohol concentration is low, it will not be able to kill the virus.

Alcohol can damage gloves after many times of disinfecting, causing the danger of spreading germs. Therefore, the regulation has stated that only disinfect gloves up to 6 times after taking samples, or if gloves are found to be damaged, they must be replaced immediately. Doctor Tuan further recommended that if eligible, medical staff can wear 2 pairs of gloves and change after each sample collection. If there are no conditions, maximum disinfect and change gloves after 6 sampling times in accordance with regulations. Gloves should not be used again after 6 times of disinfection.

The post Q&A about COVID-19: Do healthcare workers need to change gloves after taking samples? appeared first on VGlove.

Change of hand skin when wearing medical gloves

Medical gloves are protective gloves that are thin, light, tough and specialized in medical, food, laboratory, light industry…

Medical gloves form an environment that wraps the hands, completely separate from the surrounding environment, making the skin of the hands have certain changes.

The most common change of skin when wearing gloves for a long time is that the skin becomes wrinkled like a raisin. It is a normal response of the skin to changes in external environmental conditions (specifically water) and not pathological.

The degree of wrinkling more or less depends on the sweat of the hands, contact time and ability to absorb water of each person. In the past, many studies have suggested that the skin of hands and feet is wrinkled when soaked in water due to the phenomenon of osmosis, that is, the outermost layer of skin absorbs and swells with water. However, recent studies show that wrinkled hands and feet are not caused by osmosis, but by the nervous system that is the main driver of this phenomenon.

Although it is just a normal physiological response of the skin to water, exposure to moisture for a long time will still lead to harmful effects:

Irritant contact dermatitis

In a humid environment, the skin barrier has significant changes in moisture, temperature, microorganisms and permeability, making the skin more sensitive to chemicals introduced in the manufacturing process. export gloves.

Another factor that contributes to the increased likelihood of this condition is improper hand hygiene and care. Exposure to harsh cleaning chemicals such as soap, alcohol, or dishwashing liquid without thoroughly rinsing before wearing gloves can lead to skin irritation.

Irritant contact dermatitis causes more pain than itching. Signs range from mild erythema to purpura, scabs, erosions, pustules, bullae, and glove area edema.

Allergic contact dermatitis

Other allergic reactions irritation at the site of vesicles, erythema, and scaly secretions are more widespread and may be accompanied by systemic manifestations such as urticaria, skin rash, and widespread pruritus.

Another ingredient that often causes allergies when wearing medical gloves is latex, a protein found in natural rubber latex. Allergic reaction to latex is a rapid reaction, which can have clinical manifestations ranging from urticaria to anaphylaxis.

Skin fungus

The humid environment in medical gloves for a long time is extremely ideal for fungal cells to multiply and grow. Itching is the first sign that makes the patient very uncomfortable, scratching spreads pathogens, and at the same time causes skin infections that cause festering, sores, etc., which can lead to skin infections, dermatitis, and eczema. to health.

Take care of your hands when wearing medical gloves

Sanitize hands before putting on gloves

Studies show that alcohol-based hand sanitizers are more effective than traditional hand sanitizers in reducing infection in hospitals and health centers. They are also less irritating than soap and water, and are also more convenient during actual use when fighting the epidemic.

Choose a colorless, fragrance-free, alcohol-based cleanser, and wash your hands with mild soap and water when the skin is contaminated with dirt or secretions or blood. It is necessary to clean and dry hands completely before wearing gloves to avoid causing moisture and chemical penetration into the skin.

Choosing medical gloves

Choose gloves of the right design and size for comfort and safety during use.

In anti-epidemic work, latex gloves show the best virus protection for healthcare workers. It is important to choose powder-free gloves because it is less irritating and drying to the skin of the hands.

For cases of latex allergy, nitrile gloves can be selected instead. When wearing gloves for more than 30 minutes, you should remove the gloves and use cotton gauze to dry your hands, give your hands a rest to rebalance the moisture of the skin before wearing new gloves.

Skin care when wearing medical gloves

After using medical gloves, hands should be cleaned with mild soaps. Then, apply a restorative moisturizer with ceramides to soften the skin and help rebuild the skin barrier.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to strengthen the skin barrier, however, absolutely should not be used before wearing medical gloves because of the potential for chemical reactions with the rubber components in the skin. Medical gloves puncture gloves, causing danger during use.

The Covid-19 epidemic season is prolonging and causing a difficult burden to fall on all classes of people in society, especially medical workers. Therefore, the knowledge about wearing gloves will facilitate the best possible protection of health and comfort for the hands.

The post Take care of your hand skin when wearing medical gloves appeared first on VGlove.

During the complicated development of the COVID-19 pandemic, the volume of medical waste has increased significantly. The increased amount of waste during this time easily becomes a source of infectious pathogens as dangerous as F0, F1. The disposal and treatment of waste of sick people and people living in environments at risk of COVID-19 infection should receive more attention.

The types of waste associated with COVID-19 are usually masks, disinfectant bottles, blood-stained tissues, PPE kits, gloves, and household waste. These items can be viewed as infectious waste. This type of waste is suspected to contain pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites, capable of making healthy people sick.

This waste also includes medical materials and devices used to diagnose, detect and treat COVID-19. In essence, they have been contaminated with blood, tissues, body fluids, organs, needles, thermometers, toilet paper, gauze, urine bags, and other medical devices or materials that have come into contact with the fluid. secretions of infected patients.

According to one study, the expected amount of hazardous waste generated per day from an infected person can reach a maximum of 3.4kg. The sudden increase in the amount of waste generated by patients infected with COVID-19 has put enormous pressure on the waste management industry in every part of the world, especially in the epidemic areas.

Infectious waste can cause environmental and health problems if not stored, transported or handled properly. According to one study, the COVID-19 virus can remain active on surfaces such as plastic, metal and glass for up to 9 days, on serum samples for 11-12 days, 17-31 days in feces and 13-29 days in respiratory secretions.

To ensure the safety of those around you, here are some things to keep in mind when disposing of COVID-19 related waste:

If there is a confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 in the household, members should be aware that patient waste can also be a source of the disease. Therefore, it is necessary to handle them carefully. Patient waste should be collected early and not left outdoors.

Medical waste should be kept separate from other household waste. Waste containers must be tightly closed after storing garbage. To avoid direct contact with waste, the bag must be sealed before the waste exceeds 70% of the bag’s capacity. This trash bin or bag/container needs to be kept out of reach of scavenger animals such as crows or rats.

One of the most important things is that people who dispose of garbage need to wash their hands after coming into contact with trash cans/bags. During treatment, infectious waste should be placed in separate bins or boxes, possibly with prominent colors for easy identification. In addition, leftovers and food packaging used by COVID-19 patients can still be considered waste with a certain risk of infection.

The post COVID-19: How to safely dispose of masks and gloves? appeared first on VGlove.

In medical environments, gloves are essential for maintaining hygiene and the ability to maintain a level of user protection against harmful agents is assessed through consistent criteria. These criteria are aggregated into EN 455 Standards.  When purchasing Work Gloves to be used for medical purposes, the importance of understanding EN standard 455 cannot be understated. EN 455 standards are created to ensure medical gloves used during medical examination and treatment can prevent the source of disease and / or poison from being cross-contagious between individuals.

For a glove to pass EN 455, it must pass a set of tasks that we are going to explain below.

What is EN 455?

EN 455 Medical Gloves for Single Use covers any glove that could be used for medical task. The glove must follow at least three to four independent parts before it is considered safe to be used for medical work. The completed set of four parts are:

• EN 455-1: Requirements and testing of gloves for freedom from holes
• EN 455-2: Requirements and tests for physical properties
• EN 455-3: Requirements and tests for biological evaluation
• EN 455-4: Requirements and testing for shelf-life determination

Fulfilling above parts should ensure that the glove will be a wall against micro-organisms, perform effectively without breaking, protect the user from poisonous and hazardous materials, and has longevity as designed.

EN 455-1: Requirements and testing for freedom from holes

This standard describes the test method in detail how the gloves should be tested for their physical resistance, and to be more specific, only a certain level of pinholes is allowed in the gloves if it is CE labelled as a medical glove. It could be performed via a watertight test, where the gloves are filled with 1 liter of water in a specific time. After the test was conducted, the gloves are checked. The higher the AQL level at the end of the test, the more pinholes were found. The result must meet an AQL of min. 1,5 to prove compliance with this standard. Most gloves will gain 1.5, however some more specialist gloves will reach 1.0 or even 0.65.

Why is EN 455-1 important:

EN 455-1 standard is crucial because we expect the gloves that we wear to be a wall, protect the users from cross-contamination. If the gloves have a lot of pinholes, this barrier is broken, even because of small pinhole, and we are no longer be protected. Since medical gloves are mass-produced, it is impractical to produce gloves without any failure. Gloves should be tested during manufacture and before shipment (not all are doing that, but it should be necessary). It is important that the minimum level of pinholes is kept, as the risk of getting an infection through the glove will be increased with a higher AQL level.

EN 455-2: Requirements and testing for physical properties

In this standard, you will find the requirements for the size of the glove and the durability of the glove.

This means exactly that you will find a table that explains the minimum conditions for the length and the width of a surgical glove, and you will find another with the same information for examination and procedure gloves.

There are also requirements to the durability of the glove, or more accurately how much force needs to be used to break the gloves or may be called the Force at Break.

These requirements are different for different types of material, as well as it is different for types of gloves (surgical or examination etc.).

The test method is described in detail, and the gloves must be tested after production and after a challenge test.

Something any user may want to avoid more than a leak during use, is a tear while using. It is common for cheaper latex gloves to be torn apart while donning. Makers of medical gloves have the challenge of creating a thin glove than will grip, be comfortable, and will fit close to your hand without tearing.

Understandably, there are different expectations of gloves that have different purposes. You cannot expect a glove made for a simple inspection to follow to the same standards as a glove designed to be used during surgical operation. The test pushes a force on the glove to measure when it will break. Below is the force needed for a glove to endure to fulfill.

• Type of Glove     Force Needed to Break (Newtons)
• Surgical Gloves  9.0 Newtons
• Rubber examination gloves 6.0 Newtons
• Thermoplastic Gloves (Vinyl)      3.6 Newtons

Why is EN 455-2 important?

This standard is crucial to make sure that when you take out an examination glove with, for example size Medium from a box, that this glove would not be a size Small in another brand. On the other words, the sizing must be uniform. It is also important that the gloves are produced with a certain dimension, allowing the whole hand to be protected.

The durability of the glove is essential to make sure that the glove does not tear when you done the glove and if you use it for the intended use. The challenge test proves that the material under certain parameters will keep the durability.

EN 455-3: Requirements and testing for biological evaluation

This standard explains several areas that are important to make a biological evaluation on the gloves. It is the most complex of the 4 standards, because there are many different test methods mentioned and different requirements, and they are not only for latex gloves, but also relevant for all kinds of medical gloves.

There are numerous tests that must be made.

First there is the biological evaluation to see whether the glove will increase the risk of getting exposed or is an irritant to the user. This is completed by using 2 different parts of ISO 10993. The parts where the test methods are called are ISO 10993-5 and ISO 10993-10. Why these standards are used are based on the evaluation form ISO 10993-1, where a glove is found to be used on the surface of the skin, and in a shorter time.

The protein level of a latex glove should be examined using the revised Lowry test There are no needs for a minimum protein level in this standard. Other test techniques for protein level are stated in the extensions of this standard.

The powder level of a powder free glove should be tested using the method explained in ISO EN 21171. The powder level of a powder free glove cannot exceed 2 mg/glove. If the powder level is above that, the glove is considered a powdered glove.

Endotoxin level of a sterile glove can be tested. If you want to label your glove with a low content of endotoxin, the level must be below 20 EU/pair of gloves (EU=Endotoxin Units).

There are also labelling requirements in this standard, both specific for gloves, but reference to EN ISO 15223-1 is drawn.

When a manufacturer claims compliance to this part of EN 455, they must inform a user, if there are any chemicals added that are known to cause adverse health effects – upon request.

EN 455-3 may seem complicated, but it just covers what is needed to make sure the glove has undergone a proper biological evaluation before it is sold.

Although it is not a popular statement, but gloves are produced with a wide variety of chemicals, plastics, powders and irritants that may cause you harm. EN 455-3 exists to ensure that you are protected from the glove.

With four separate areas of analysis, EN 455-3 attempts to prevent the user from developing irritable skin, suffering an allergic reaction or gaining more serious diseases such as a fever. It is important to remember that there is always a risk of reacting to your glove, but EN 455 demands that the risk is as low as possible. The four tests are:

Chemical Residues: A test is conducted to understand the levels of chemical excess left on the glove from production. 

Latex: Tests are performed to determine the latex protein levels on the glove. The higher the level of protein, there is more chance of irritable skin.

Powder: Powder-free gloves boast about their lack of potential irritants but must be tested to ensure they meet the correct specifications. A powder level that exceeds 2 mg/glove is considered enough for a powdered glove.

Endotoxin: Just for sterile gloves, the endotoxin must be checked. For a glove to pass as low endotoxin, the level must be below 20EU/pair of gloves (EU = Endotoxin Units).

Why is EN 455-3 important?

It is important because we want to make sure that the glove does not give you illness when you wear it. You should not be exposed by using it, and irritants should be so low as possible.

There will always be a risk of reacting to your glove, this risk must be low. If you react to your glove, you need to be able to find out, which glove to use instead. Here the standard also helps you, because you can ask for a list of the chemicals used in the glove.

EN 455-4: Requirements and testing for shelf life determination

All kinds of gloves have their certain shelf life. They need to be able to meet the first 3 mentioned standards during their shelf life. The reason of this test to be carried out, is to ensure the glove will not degrade while it is in transit, in a warehouse, or waiting to be used. Therefore, this standard defines how to test the shelf life of a glove, and how it should be labelled.  There are 2 test procedures. The first one is the enhanced shelf-life determination. The glove is undergoing different challenge tests and based on the results of the test the theoretical shelf life is calculated.  When the shelf-life determination is done based on the accelerated tests, the maximum years that can be claimed is 3 years.  This test is normally made when a new glove product is introduced.  At the same time, it is a must that the real-time shelf-life determination test is started, as the chemicals and proteins that have gone into a latex glove can decay over time. This will take years to complete – up to 5 years as this is the maximum shelf life for a glove.

Why is this standard important?

It is important that when you use the glove, that you know whether it still provides you the expected safeguard. Since a glove decomposes over time, it will only last for a certain period, when it is stored correctly.

You should not use the glove after the expiry date, as it may not give you the expected protection anymore.

VRG Khai Hoan EN 455-1 (nitrile)

VRG Khai Hoan EN 455-1-(nitrile 2)

VRG Khai Hoan EN 455 2-3 (latex powder-free)

VRG Khai Hoan EN 455-2 (nitrile)

VRG Khai Hoan EN 455-1_Powdered glove

VRG Khai Hoan EN 455-3 (nitrile)

VRG Khai Hoan EN455-1 (latex powder-free)

VRG Khai Hoan EN455-2 latex powdered

VRG Khai Hoan EN455-3 Latex powdered

The post European Standard EN 455 appeared first on VGlove.

Figure 1

Working with these hazardous materials requires compliance with strict safety procedures and the use of specially designed protective equipment. The user’s hands must be given special attention, and therefore specialized gloves have been developed to resist exposure to chemicals.

The level of protection against chemicals provided by a particular glove will depend not only on the glove manufacturing design but also on the choice of materials used for glove manufacturing, since the material is suitable. To be effective, each material not only resists the ingress of chemicals due to its structure but also must resist abrasion by chemicals that can resulting in damage such as a crack or a hole.

The European Standard for Chemical Resistant Gloves was first published in 1994 under the name EN 374-1, and subsequently revised in 2003. The current revision of this standard is EN ISO 374. -1: 2016. This standard contains terminology and performance requirements for chemical protective gloves. There are several variations between the 2003 version of EN 374-1 and the current version of the EN ISO 374-1. One of the main changes is that in addition to penetration and osmosis testing, a process test is required on all chemical protective gloves. However, testing of chemical resistant gloves for mechanical properties in accordance with EN 388 has been eliminated. This is now optional for glove manufacturers who want to claim protection from both chemical and mechanical effects in their products.

Table 1

All chemical resistant gloves will not leak when tested according to EN 374-2. Leaks can occur through imperfections in a glove, such as having a very small hole or seam fault. The EN 374-2 test consists of two parts – an air and water leak test:

For air leak tests, the glove is immersed in water and its inside pressurized with air (figure 1). Leaks will be detected by a stream of bubbles from the surface of the glove.

– A similar principle applies to water leak testing. In this assessment, the gloves were filled with water and any leaks were detected by the appearance of water droplets on the outer surface of the glove.

During the test, the amount of test chemical seeped through an inert collection medium is measured until a predetermined osmosis rate is reached. The time for this to happen (known as the ‘breakout time’) is recorded. This determines the material’s performance level. Which chemicals are tested will depend on the end use of the glove and the type of marking product desired by the manufacturer. EN ISO 374-1 lists 18 chemicals, but other chemicals and mixtures may also be tested, depending on the application of the glove.

Three test pieces were taken from the palm of the hand. For gloves longer than 400mm, and where a bracelet is also required for protection, three other test pieces are also taken from the cuff. If the glove contains a seam or seam in the hand zone, it shall also be tested.

Test results are reported based on the standardized breakout time achieved. There are six levels of osmolality (see table 2). The highest level of protection is level 6, which shows a breakout time greater than 480 minutes.

Table 2

Tests performed in accordance with EN 16523-1 replacing EN 374-3. Inside a cell, the surface of the glove material is placed in direct contact with the challenging chemical and the back of the glove material is exposed to the collecting medium. As such, the glove material acts as a barrier separating challenging chemicals from the collection medium. The amount of chemical seeping through the glove material into the resulting vehicle is measured, and from this breakthrough point is calculated.

Wear and tear is the process by which a change to a material occurs – in this case, through contact with a chemical. Signs that degradation has occurred include flaking, wear, a change in appearance, and hardening of the material under test.

Evaluation of the wear and tear of glove material is a new requirement in EN ISO 374-1. Wear and tear should be identified for each chemical required in the instructions for use and on the label. The inspection must be performed in accordance with EN 374-4. If a protective glove is longer than 400mm, and the osmosis test has been performed on both the cuff and the palm, the degradation test should be performed at least for the area where the lowest osmolality is achieved . The principle of the test is that the change in a material’s puncture resistance is measured after continuous contact with an external surface with a test chemical. The force required to push the stylus through the glove material is measured, both before and after exposure to the reagent.

Figure 2

The chemical glove designation (see figure 2) shall be in accordance with EN 420 and the specific requirements are given in EN ISO 374-1. There are three types of chemical protective gloves:

Class A gloves have achieved grade 2 or higher in comparison to the six chemicals listed in EN ISO 374-1 (see table 1). Protective gloves are resistant for at least 30 minutes for each of at least 6 chemicals tested.

– Gloves of class B have reached level 2 or higher compared with at least three chemicals listed in EN ISO 374-1. Protective gloves are resistant for at least 30 minutes for each of at least 3 chemicals tested.

Class C gloves have achieved at least one level 1 relative to one of the chemicals listed in EN ISO 374-1. Protective gloves are resistant for at least 30 minutes for each of at least 1 chemical tested.

For the new classification, experts have agreed that the 3 new class types do not make a difference to the types of products already on the market. Most chemical protective gloves can be assigned to class A; Only thin disposable protective gloves will be assigned to categories B and C. Actual use for users is open to discuss.

VGlove

VRG Khai Hoan EN 374 – 388

VRG Khai Hoan EN 374-1-3 and EN420

VRG Khai Hoan EN 374-3

The post Standard EN ISO 374 on chemical resistant gloves appeared first on VGlove.