PREVALENCE OF OCCUPATIONAL ASTHMA DUE TO LATEX AMONG HOSPITAL PERSONNEL

Latex has been documented as causing immediate hypersensitivity reacti ons ranging from contact urticaria to severe anaphylaxis. Latex protei ns may also act as airborne allergens Causing rhinitis and asthma. The prevalence of occupational asthma due to latex gloves among health ca re workers is unknown. We surveyed the employees of a primary care hos pital including nurses (n = 201), members of the cleaning staff (n = 5 0), and laboratory technologists (n = 38). In the initial part of the study, a questionnaire and skin-prick tests with latex and common inha lant allergens were administered to 273 of 289 (94%) members of the ta rget population. Thirteen of the 273 subjects (4.7%; 95% Cl: 2.6 to 8. 1%) showed skin reactivity to latex. All latex-sensitive subjects repo rted glove-related urticaria, which was associated with rhinoconjuncti vitis in 12 subjects and asthma in five subjects. No subject had a his tory suggestive of occupational asthma among those who had negative sk in tests to latex. In the second part of the study, a histamine inhala tion challenge was performed on 12 of 13 latex-sensitive subjects, inc luding the five subjects with a history of occupational asthma. These 12 subjects demonstrated significant bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Al l underwent specific inhalation challenges with latex gloves in the la boratory. Seven subjects developed a significant bronchial response (f our immediate and three dual reactions) to latex glove exposure. We co nclude that occupational asthma due to latex occurred in 2.5% (95% Cl: 1.0 to 5.2%) of hospital employees. Widespread use of latex gloves sh ould therefore be considered a significant risk to the respiratory hea lth of hospital employees.