During the pandemic, hospitals and medical professionals couldn’t access enough supplies to properly care for the huge flood of patients. Protective gear like N95 masks and nitrile exam gloves were in short supply, putting doctors, nurses and sick patients at higher risk. These essential supplies are still needed in greater quantities today with hospitals struggling to find enough to keep their staff safe as the pandemic continues.
N95 Masks
N95 masks are still needed in great quantities as prices skyrocket and hospitals struggle to procure enough. N95 respirators are used in a variety of settings from industrial jobs where workers are exposed to dust and air particulates to hospitals where disease and infections can be airborne. N95 masks are intended to be single-use respiratory protective devices to protect both the patient and the medical professional from transferring any particulates, fluids or organisms.
N95 masks became essential during the pandemic as medical staff wore them to try to avoid the spread of coronavirus. As the pandemic raged, hospitals needed more and more, with some having to resort to repeatedly using their masks or even trash bags to stay safe as available protective gear dwindled. Today, the costs of N95 masks is still higher than it was before the pandemic, unlike other PPE. While the need for N95 has lessened since the middle of the pandemic, there is still a 1,300% increased use rate by medical providers due to the delta variant.
Conventional medical masks are known to have limited capabilities against the coronavirus, with N95 masks being capable of filtering up to 95% of particulates and materials. N95 market growth is expected to continue to rise as strict regulations are being passed for occupational safety in industrial positions as well as for a number of surgeries. There is a greater current need for cataract surgery and orthopedic surgery for which N95 masks are essential to avoid infection.
Tens of millions of surgeries are completed every year globally with about half being minimally invasive. Along with increased surgery rates, there is a driving need to avoid hospital-acquired infections, which continue to be a major concern. There are many aspects of the medical process that increase the chance of acquiring an infection, lowering the chance of a positive outcome and increasing comorbidities. N95 masks are essential in today’s medical environments to ensure all medical staff and patients have the best chance at both becoming and staying healthy.
Nitrile Exam Gloves
Another important personal protection item is nitrile exam gloves. These gloves are stronger than latex and are commonly used in examinations so they’re available in sterile and non-sterile forms. They provide greater chemical exposure protection and high personal barrier protection. Nitrile gloves were in high demand during the pandemic with national stockpiles in several countries depleting as it raged on.
The United States is still on its way to restoring stockpiles and recently signed a production deal that will increase nitrile glove production by billions within the country. There are a number of benefits of using this type of glove in healthcare settings, which is driving the increasing market and need.
Nitrile is a commonly preferred type of material in both medical and industrial settings around the world. Latex-free and with up to three times the puncture resistance of standard latex gloves, these gloves provide maximum protection against a variety of potential infection situations. Infection control and increasing latex allergies are driving factors in the popularity of this type of glove. There is an increased awareness occurring in healthcare settings concerning infection and pandemic diseases like coronavirus and even swine flu.
Medical professionals and facilities want to provide their staff and patients with the best protective gear on the market. As the need for nitrile exam gloves rises to avoid spreading infection and disease, facilities and organizations struggle to procure enough to keep their organization safe. As government agencies struggle to make deals to increase their stockpiles, facilities, first responders and healthcare organizations are also struggling to ensure they can keep up with the delta variant and the increased occurrence of infectious patients still happening around the world today. While the high of the pandemic has passed for now, there are still high rates of coronavirus and other diseases that need to be handled professionally and safely.
Protective Gear; Nitrile Exam Gloves and N95 Masks
Hospitals and other institutional healthcare facilities are still struggling to obtain enough protective gear like N95 masks and nitrile gloves. SPH Medical is a trusted supplier authorized to securely distribute these essential supplies to hospitals that desperately need them. Staying safe, protected and sterile during examinations and surgeries is essential to creating a safe space where patients can achieve their best health outcomes. Having the proper protective gear is important in maintaining the safety of both staff and patients.
