Latex glove-related symptoms among health care workers: a self-report questionnaire-based survey

The use of latex gloves by health care workers (HCWs) can lead to multiple symptoms: eczema, contact urticaria, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, asthma, and anaphylaxis.

The objectives of this study were to reveal the prevalence of latex glove-related symptoms of HCWs at Siriraj Hospital and to determine risk factors associated with those symptoms associated with the use of latex gloves.

Self-administered questionnaires were sent to 6880 HCWs who were working at Siriraj Hospital and using latex rubber gloves in their duty.

The questionnaire response rate was 65.8%. Of 4529 respondents, the male-to-female ratio was 1:8.6 and the mean age was 34.3 years. The majority of respondents were nurses (83%). The prevalence of glove-related symptoms among the HCWs is 13.3%. Glove-related cutaneous and noncutaneous symptoms were found in 11.3% and 5.9% of the respondents.

The hospital housekeepers emerged as the job with the significantly higher prevalence rate of glove-related symptoms than that of the other job categories. Factors associated with glove-related cutaneous symptoms are frequency and duration of glove use, history of atopy, and history of allergy to fruit cross-reacting with latex. The quantity of glove use, history of atopy, and allergy to fruits cross-reacting with latex are risk factors for the occurrence of glove-related noncutaneous symptoms.