Types of Gloves Used in Healthcare
Posted by admin in Healthcare Systems on May 19, 2011
By Chen Wenli
The use of gloves in protecting hands from infecting diseases during healthcare works in an easy and effective way. Since 1987, gloves have become the key components for healthcare workers. Because of the different purposes under different circumstances, gloves have developed into many kinds of types and, understanding these types well will reduce the cost and improve the safety for both patients and healthcare workers.
Mainly, there are three types of gloves used in healthcare works: examination, surgical, and utility or heavy-duty household gloves.
1. Examination gloves
Workers use these gloves when they do their routine duties, sometimes in contact with mucous membranes and skin. Commonly, these gloves are made of vinyl, a synthetic material that can be made easily and not much expensive. While vinyl is inelastic (does not well as latex), the gloves are made often loose-fitting and can be taken off easily. In some cases, examination gloves are needed to better quality and made from latex or nitrile and can be bought in medical supply stores in most cities. Remember, all examination gloves are very thin and should not be reprocessed for reuse.
2. Surgical gloves
These gloves should be worn during some infectious medical procedures and surgical works. Workers use them for all procedures including contact with tissue deep under the skin. Read the rest of this entry »
Desperate Doctors, It’s Not A TV Show
Posted by admin in Healthcare Systems on May 19, 2011
By Douglas Cassel
Most men lead lives of quiet desperation – Henry David Thoreau
Sometimes even the largest national issues are best understood through the prism of individual anecdote. Over the last week I serendipitously encountered three old acquaintances, at different stages of their medical careers, whose experiences can tell us much about where medical reform is heading. Just like me, their stories may surprise you.
The first hopeful was a junior in college, working to get into medical school. He is a great kid, good grades, board scores and research activities. His resume is solid, if not great. 40 years ago when I applied, he would have had no trouble getting into medical school. Today, his prospects are questionable. Medical school has become enormously popular as a career choice, and applications continue to soar. The quality of the candidates and the admission of women have made the process more competitive than ever, while at the same time, the actual world these graduates will enter is changing. I wonder whether all of these high achievers will be happy in the family practice jobs they will end up filling. Financial incentives, student loans, and decreasing specialty residency spaces will reduce choices substantially. Much of the attraction of medicine has been the challenge and intellectual stimulation encountered in specialty practice, which may not be an option for many. The future for these graduates will not be so much black or white, but a dull grey.
The second doctor I spoke to was a surgical resident finishing his seventh year of post medical school training. (That’s 15 years post high school). Despite all of this training he was having trouble finding a job anywhere his wife wanted to live. Read the rest of this entry »