PERIOPERATIVE COLLAPSE - PREVALENCE OF LATEX ALLERGY IN PATIENTS SENSITIVE TO ANESTHETIC AGENTS

The evidence in the literature suggests that the prevalence of latex a llergy in the general population is approximately 1%. With increasing awareness of transmission of HIV and other infections such as hepatiti s B, the use of latex gloves and condoms has escalated in recent years . As cheaper latex gloves of variable and doubtful quality flood the m arket, health care workers and patients are being increasingly sensiti zed by these latex products. A retrospective study investigated the pr evalence of latex allergy in a cohort of 26 patients who suffered peri operative anaphylactoid reactions. 84% of these patients were hypersen sitive to at least 1 anaesthetic-related agent. 7.7% were also allergi c to latex (p=0.028). Atopy is a strong predisposing factor (p=0.006). An accurate preoperative history of atopy and past reactions to latex will identify most at-risk patients. Prick test and PAST to latex wil l confirm the latex allergy. Anaesthetists, surgeons, allergists and o ther health practitioners should be aware of this problem. (C) Munksga ard, 1997.