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Latex allergy in operating room nurses

S R Mace1, G L Sussman, G Liss

  • 1Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology : Official Publication of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology
|April 9, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Natural rubber latex allergy and crossreacting food allergies are prevalent in operating room nurses. Many nurses with latex allergies also react to certain foods, with some showing no prior symptoms.

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Area of Science:

  • Occupational Health
  • Immunology
  • Allergy Research

Background:

  • Operating room nurses face significant exposure to natural rubber latex (NRL).
  • NRL allergy is a recognized occupational hazard, potentially leading to significant health issues.
  • Crossreactivity between NRL and certain foods is a known phenomenon.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of NRL allergy among operating room nurses.
  • To identify potential crossreacting food allergies in this population.
  • To correlate clinical symptoms with objective allergy testing.

Main Methods:

  • A questionnaire assessing latex reactivity and food allergies was administered to 247 operating room nurses.
  • Skin prick testing (SPT) was performed using NRL extracts and four potentially crossreacting foods (banana, avocado, kiwi, potato).

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  • Indirect latex enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was conducted on serum samples from skin test-positive individuals.

    • Main Results:

    • 54.7% of nurses reported symptoms attributed to latex exposure.
    • 6.9% of all nurses tested positive via SPT to NRL extracts.
    • Among those with positive NRL SPT, 17.6% were asymptomatic, and 29.4% had positive SPT to crossreacting foods.

    Conclusions:

    • A notable percentage of operating room nurses exhibit NRL allergy, with a significant proportion being asymptomatic.
    • Crossreacting food allergies are common among nurses with NRL sensitivity.
    • Objective testing reveals a higher prevalence of NRL sensitization than previously indicated by reported symptoms alone.