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[Prevalence of latex-related sensitization in health care workers]
María Esteve1, Irma Casas, Miguel Baltasar
1Unidad de Medicina Preventiva. Hospital Universitario Germans Trias i Pujol. Badalona. Barcelona. España. esteve@ns.hugtip.scs.es
Background And Objective:
Latex exposure at work has been related to sensitization in health care workers. The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of this sensitization in health care workers and its risk factors.
Patients And Method:
The occupation, prevalence of latex-related symptoms and sensitization was determined in a sample of health care workers by questionnaire and skin testing.
Results:
461 subjects were studied during a year. 30.2% of them reported dermatitis symptoms, 23.2% rhinitis, 12.6% urticaria-like rashes, and 5.6% reported asthmatic symptoms. 17.6% of workers reported symptoms when using latex gloves and 5% after the contact or ingestion of tropical fruits. Sensitization to latex was indentified in 12 workers (2.6%, CI95% 1.2-4.0). Dermatitis, urticaria-like rashes, rhinitis and asthmatic symptoms upon exposure to latex products and/or tropical fruits were all significantly more prevalent in sensitized subjects. In the logistic regression analysis, dermatitis, urticaria-like rashes, and asthmatic symptoms after the ingestion of tropical fruits were related to latex sensitization.
Conclusions:
The prevalence of sensitization to latex in health workers is nearly 3% and it must be suspected in subjects reporting symptoms when using latex gloves or after the ingestion of tropical fruits.
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