Natural rubber latex: glove use, sensitization, and airborne and latent dust concentrations at a Denver hospital.
Exposure to natural rubber latex may cause immediate hypersensitivity reactions. Published latex sensitization prevalence rates range from 2.9% to 22% among health care workers, and from 0.12% to about 20% of occupationally unexposed populations. In this study, self-administered questionnaires addressed job and personal characteristics, glove use, and symptoms in two groups of hospital workers: those who regularly used latex gloves and those who did not. Serum was tested for latex-specific immunoglobulin E. Air, surface, and air-filter dust samples for natural rubber latex were collected. The prevalence of latex sensitization was 6.3% in the non-users and 6.1% in the latex glove users (P = 0.9); 81.3% of sensitized workers were atopic compared with 59.5% of non-sensitized workers (P < 0.05). Reporting of work-related hand dermatitis was more common in the latex glove users (23.4%) than in the non-users (4.9%), as were rhino-conjunctivitis (16.3% and 7.9%, respectively, [P < 0.01]), and hand urticaria (9.9% and 2.1%, respectively, [P < 0.01]). There was no significant difference in work-related symptoms between the sensitized and non-sensitized workers. Environmental concentrations of latex were higher in the work areas of the non-sensitized workers, but higher in the clinical than in the non-clinical areas. Occupational latex glove use was not a risk factor for sensitization.
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E H
EH
Epidemic Intelligence Service, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998, USA. edp7@cdc.gov
Esswein
E J
EJ
Petersen
M R
MR
Lewis
D M
DM
Bledsoe
T A
TA
D000328:Adult; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003120:Colorado / Q000453:epidemiology; D004391:Dust / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D017575:Gloves, Protective / Q000009:adverse effects; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006786:Hospitals, Urban; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016036:Seroepidemiologic Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D004391:Dust; D007074:Immunoglobulin G