182 unit 3 | Professional Issues
Latex allergy should be suspected if an employee
develops symptoms after latex exposures. A com-
plete medical history can reveal latex sensitivity,
and blood tests approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration are available to detect latex antibod-
ies. Skin testing and glove-use tests are also available.
Compete latex avoidance is the most effective
approach. Medications may reduce allergic symp-
toms, and special precautions are needed to prevent
exposure during medical and dental care.
Encourage employees with a latex allergy to wear a
medical alert bracelet.
Decreasing the potential for development of latex
allergy consists of reducing unnecessary exposure to
NRL proteins for health-care workers. Many
employees in a health-care setting, such as food han-
dlers or gardeners, can use alternative gloves. If an
employee must use NRL gloves, gloves with a lower
protein content and those that are powder-free
should be considered. Good housekeeping practices
should be identified to remove latex-containing dust
from the workplace. Employee education programs
to ensure appropriate work practices and hand wash-
ing should be encouraged. Identification of employ-
ees with increased potential for latex allergies is not
possible. However, clinical evidence indicates that
certain workers may be at greater risk, including
those with histories of allergies to pollens, grasses,
and certain foods or plants (avocado, banana, kiwi,
chestnut) and histories of multiple surgeries.
Decrease the potential for latex allergy problems
(cdc.gov/niosh/98-113):
■Evaluate any cases of hand dermatitis or other
signs or symptoms of potential latex allergy.
■Use latex-free procedure trays and crash carts.
■Use nonlatex gloves for activities that do not
involve contact with infectious materials.
■Avoid using oil-based creams or lotions, which
can cause glove deterioration.
■Seek ongoing training and the latest informa-
tion related to latex allergy.
■Wash, rinse, and dry hands thoroughly after
removing gloves or between glove changes.
■Use powder-free gloves.In spite of all precautions, what do you do if you
develop a latex allergy? At this point, never wear
latex gloves. Be aware of the following precautions
(nursingworld.org/dlwa/osh/wp7):■Avoid all types of latex exposure.
■Wear a medical alert bracelet.
■Carry an Epi-kit with auto-injectible epinephrine.
■Alert employers and colleagues to your latex
sensitivity.
■Carry nonlatex gloves.OSHA “right to know” laws require employers to
inform health-care workers of potentially danger-
ous substances in the workplace. For continuing
information on latex allergies, see the NIOSH
home page at cdc.gov/niosh
Patients as well as workers are at risk and should
be screened for allergies. Patients with a history of
hay fever, food allergies (especially to bananas, avo-
cados, potatoes, tomatoes), asthma, or eczema can
be at risk. Taking a thorough health history is vital.
Treat any indication of potential latex sensitivity
seriously (Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and
Associates, 2001). As of 2006, most health-caretable 12-2
Latex Equipment
Emergency Equipment Personal Protective Equipment Office Supplies Hospital Supplies
Blood pressure cuffs Gloves Rubber bands Anesthesia masks
Stethoscopes Surgical masks Erasers Catheters
Disposable gloves Goggles Wound drains
Oral and nasal airways Respirators Injection ports
Endotracheal tubes Rubber aprons Rubber tops of multi-dose vials
Tourniquets Dental dams
IV tubing Hot water bottles
Syringes Baby bottle nipples
Electrode pads Pacifiers
Adapted from OSHA latex allergy: osha-slc.gov/SLTC/latexallergy/index; and OSHA latex alert: cdc.gov/niosh/latexalt?