Protective gloves should be discarded after how many minutes of wear?

• A. 30 minutes
• B. 45 minutes
• C. 60 minutes
• D. 90 minutes

Answer: (A)

The main safety concept is that gloves used when handling cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs can allow drug permeation over time, so they must be changed frequently to maintain protection. Although gloves act as a barrier, exposure risk increases with wear time due to potential permeation and micro-tears that may develop. Therefore, 30 minutes is the standard interval to discard and replace gloves, reducing the chance that cytotoxic agents reach the skin. If a glove tears, becomes contaminated, or you finish a task or switch to a different drug, replace it immediately. Wearing gloves longer than 30 minutes raises the risk of exposure, so longer intervals like 45, 60, or 90 minutes are not appropriate in this context.