The most important point for selecting medical gloves is to define: Who is being protected? What is being protected against? Medical gloves are typically used to protect health care workers from a range of hazards encountered in the workplace, including:

• Biological exposures (bacterial and viral)
• Chemotherapy drugs
• Sterilants
• Chemicals

Medical gloves themselves have the potential for adversely affecting both health care workers and patients. Therefore, it is important to consider the following concerns and make sure that gloves will provide the protection needed without introducing risk to health care workers or patients.

• Latex allergy can affect both health care workers and patients.
• Use of powdered gloves can lead to granulomas and adhesions in surgical patients.
• Airborne powder may have high bacterial and latex protein levels, introducing risk of infection or allergic reaction for both patients and hospital staff.
• Glove fit is important to prevent chafing of the skin. In addition, gloves that fit poorly sometimes make it difficult to perform manual tasks, such as grasping or manipulating medical devices. In some cases, workers compensate by gripping more tightly, which over time can cause hand trauma or accidents.