Latex sensitization in health care workers and in the US general population

Sensitization to natural rubber latex is a prerequisite to type I immediate hypersensitivity reactions (urticaria, angioedema, anaphylaxis, and allerg ic rhinitis) that result from subsequent latex exposure. This study examine s occupations in which latex glove use is common to determine whether it is associated with increased prevalence odds of latex sensitization (measured by latex-specific immunoglobulin E antibodies) by using data from 5,512 ad ults aged 17-60 years from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examinat ion Survey (1988-1991). After other factors associated with latex sensitiza tion were controlled for, there was a nonsignificant association between lo ngest-held jobs in health care and latex sensitization (odds ratio (OR) = 1 .49, 95 percent confidence interval (CI): 0.92, 2.40). For current occupati ons, latex sensitization was not associated with health care work in which gloves were used (OR = 1.17, 95 percent CI: 0.51, 2.65) or with other occup ations in which latex glove use is common (OR = 1.01, 95 percent CI: 0.49, 2.07) compared with other occupations. Current health care workers who repo rted not using gloves were at increased risk of latex sensitization, both a mong those without a history of childhood atopy (OR = 2.30, 95 percent CI: 1.04, 5.13) and those with such a history (OR = 28.04, 95 percent CI: 3.64, 215.97). This odds ratio heterogeneity suggests that subjects with childho od atopy may be at high risk of latex sensitization.