An evaluation of the risk for latex allergy in prehospital EMS providers.
Hospital health care providers are increasingly being diagnosed as latex sensitive or allergic. Little is established on incidence or risks to prehospital health care providers. A written survey of EMT-DCs and EMT-Ps was done anonymously using established risk stratification questions to identify factors that indicate higher potential for developing latex allergies. There were 666 surveys distributed with 580 (87%) returned completed. Of the respondents, 533 were male (91%) with 510 (87%) reporting more than 5 years of field experience. Of the survey participants, 435 (75%) were EMT-DC level and 145 (25%) were EMT-P level. We found that latex sensitivities and allergies are present in our population, with an 8% incidence of latex allergies in EMT-DCs and 18% in EMT-Ps. A greater number of respondents report having factors that have been established to be associated with increased risk for latex allergies, indicating the need for more vigilant monitoring for the development of such reactions.
Vilke
Gary M
GM
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California 92103, USA.
Fisher
Roger
R
Chan
Theodore C
TC
D003625:Data Collection; D004634:Emergency Medical Technicians; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020315:Latex Hypersensitivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors