PREVALENCE OF LATEX ALLERGY AMONG ANESTHESIOLOGISTS - IDENTIFICATION OF SENSITIZED BUT ASYMPTOMATIC INDIVIDUALS

Background: Occupational exposure to natural rubber latex has led to s ensitization of health-care workers. However, the prevalence of latex allergy among occupationally exposed workers in American hospitals has not been reproducibly determined. The objectives of the current study were to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for latex sensit ization among a cohort of highly exposed healthcare workers. Methods: Participants were 168 of 171 eligible anesthesiologists and nurse anes thetists working in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, A clinical questionnaire was administered, and testing was performed using a characterized nonammoniated latex reagent for punctu re skin testing, a Food and Drug Administration-approved assay to quan tify latex-specific immunoslobulin E antibody in serum, and, when requ ired for clarification, a validated two-stage (contact-inhalation) lat ex glove provocation procedure. Results: The prevalence of latex aller gy with clinical symptoms and latex sensitization without clinical sym ptoms was 2.4% and 10.1%, respectively. The prevalence of irritant or contact dermatitis was 24%. The risk factors identified for latex sens itization were atopy (odds ratio, 14.1; 95% CI, 1.8-112.1; P = 0.012); history of allergy to selected fruits, such as bananas, avocados, or kiwis (odds ratio, 9.8; 95% CI, 1.6-61.9; P = 0.015); and history of s kin symptoms with latex glove use (odds ratio, 4.6; 95% CI, 1.6-13.4; P = 0.006), Conclusions: The prevalence of latex sensitization among a nesthesiologists is high (12.5%). Of these, 10.1% had occult (asymptom atic) latex allergy. Hospital employees may be sensitized to latex eve n in the absence of perceived latex allergy symptoms. These data suppo rt the need to transform the health-care environment into a latex-safe one that minimizes latex exposure to patients and hospital staff .