[Allergy and other skin reactions as a result of rubber gloves]

Protective latex surgical gloves and examination gloves may cause allergic contact dermatitis, mainly due to rubber chemicals used in the manufacturing process. Latex proteins in the gloves may cause contact urticaria and even anaphylactoid reactions. Eighty-eight dentists and other members of the dental team were tested for contact allergy to thiuram- and mercapto-derivatives, and for contact-urticaria to latex proteins. All but 5 persons used gloves at least periodically. Fifty-one of 87 of the persons who answered a questionnaire had or had had symptoms from the skin on the hands, but in only 3 cases could allergy to the gloves be proved. Women had more often symptoms than men, and female dentists with symptoms used gloves more often and for longer periods than female dentists without symptoms. It can be concluded that redness of the skin, itching, vesicles and eczema are common symptoms reported in connection with use of gloves, but proved allergy to the gloves is rare. Most symptoms are supposed to be due to skin irritation from the gloves in addition to irritative exposure from handwashing and other chemical irritants in dental work. The nature of the irritative effect from gloves is only partly known and should be studied further.