TOXICITY AND IMMEDIATE ALLERGENICITY OF LATEX GLOVES

Surgical latex gloves and a natural rubber latex (NRL) catheter were e valuated for biocompatibility by cell culture methods and Type I aller gic reactions in operating room personnel using latex gloves. The prev alence of relevant immediate allergy to NRL was 5.2 % when using eluat es made from different latex gloves as allergens and the skin-prick te st methodology. The reliability of a questionnaire in detecting the se nsitized persons was limited. Weak positive skin test reactions to sur gical latex glove eluates were found to be unreliable as compared with challenging with the corresponding glove. Latex gloves exhibited more toxicity in cell culture than non latex gloves but, inversely, the to xic catheter gave weak positive skin-prick test reaction in only one s ensitized person, confirming that the allergenicity and toxicity of na tural rubber products do not refer to the same properties of the produ cts. Catheters exhibiting toxicity in cell culture have earlier been f ound to cause significant clinical symptoms in operated patients, but in the case of surgical gloves this relationship is not clear. One glo ve brand with a low content of known sensitizing rubber chemicals caus ed clear toxicity in cell culture but was well tolerated by the hospit al personnel.