Latex Allergy in Health Professionals: Specific Aspects of Diagnostics

Abstract

The study aimed to develop preventive measures for occupational allergy to latex in health care workers and to elucidate diagnostic specifics of latex sensitization by clinical and immunological parameters. One thousand three hundred forty-six health professionals whose work involves contact with latex-containing products underwent a screening questionnaire survey. One hundred twenty health professionals had an immunoassay done involving the estimation of total and latex-specific IgE. Thirty-six health care workers had a prick skin test done with a standard kit of allergens (home dust mites, epidermal, and pollen allergens). Latex allergy in health care workers is most often characterized by the development of skin manifestations and allergic rhinitis. Latex allergy in health professionals was found to be most common in individuals with the history of allergies, confirmed by increased total IgE values, which should be taken into consideration in occupational fitness assessments on a preliminary medical examination.