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HEALTH-CARE-INDUSTRY
NATURAL-RUBBER-LATEX
ALLERGIC-DISORDERS

AN EPIDEMIC OF OCCUPATIONAL ALLERGY TO LATEX INVOLVING HEALTH CARE WORKERS

Skin tests and interviews were conducted and latex specific immunoglobulin-E antibodies were measured in a group of health care workers at the Mayo Medical Center presenting to the Allergy Division between January 1990 and June 1993. Of the 342 workers referred for evaluation, 104 were identified as being latex allergic based upon the results of skin testing. The most commonly affected workers were nursing personnel. The most commonly reported symptom was contact urticaria followed by rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and asthma. The authors conclude that these findings substantiate a local epidemic of latex allergy among medical center employees.

Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 37(10):1204-1209, 1995. (23 references)

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