SELECTED ARTICLES FROM THE RECENT LITERATURE 2004
9/8/04
Declining incidence of latex sensitization
Summary
Background - The prevalence of allergic reactions to natural rubber latex (NRL) had been increasing since the 1980's. Particularly with the increasing use of NRL gloves by health care workers (HCW) in the prevention of transmission of the HIV and other pathogens. When use of NRL gloves is indicated, the use of powder-free gloves with low contents of NRL allergens has been recommended as measure to prevent NRL sensitization. But have these recommendations been followed in health care facilities? If so, has this move led to a lower incidence of NRL sensitization in HCW?
Findings - Allmers et al determined the annual number of reported suspected cases of NRL-induced occupational allergies from 1996-2002 as well as the frequency of different types of gloves purchased by acute care hospitals in Germany from 1986-2002.
The number of powder free, non-surgical NRL gloves exceeded the number of powdered gloves by 1998, assuming an 88% market share by the year 2002. The frequency of non-powdered surgical gloves also exceeded the frequency of powdered surgical gloves by 2000 with a marked share (89%) of the total NRL glove purchases by the year 2002. The incidence of contact urticaria in HCW attributed to NRL peaked in 1998, declining by 80% since then. Likewise, the incidence of occupational asthma attributed to NRL peaked in 1998, declining by 83% as of 2002.
Conclusions - The reduced use of powdered NRL gloves is likely responsible for the sizable reduction in the frequency of NRL sensitization in HCW.
Reference
J Allergy Clin Immnol 2004;114:347-51
Editor's Comments
These findings provide encouraging supportive evidence that the incidence of NRL sensitization in HCW can be reduced markedly by the use of non-powdered gloves with lower content of NRL allergen. The question remains whether this reduced incidence of NRL sensitization in HCW will be accompanied by a similar reduction in NRL sensitization in patients coming in contact with the less allergenic NRL gloves now in use by HCW.
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