By Christina Sponselli

A latex allergy forced Joan Hewlett-Loomis, RN, to quit working as a hospital nurse and nursing educator and to become keenly aware of what items contain latex. But for Hewlett-Loomis, informing herself was not enough. She is committed to educating others, including her healthcare providers, whose lack of knowledge can be dangerous.

Hewlett-Loomis went into anaphylactic shock after exposure to gloves mistakenly thought not to contain latex during a procedure at a wound-care center. (The gloves hadn’t been clearly labeled by the manufacturer.) Now, she carries nonlatex gloves in her handbag at all times. “I hope my case will help educate physicians, the public, and other nurses,” said Hewlett-Loomis in an interview from her home in Hawaiian Gardens, Calif.

Proposed Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations would make it easier to identify some of the products manufactured with latex, which are thought to number in the tens of thousands. The regulations would prohibit the use of the term hypoallergenic on products containing latex. The rules would also require labels to be placed on medical devices containing natural rubber latex that may directly or indirectly contact living human tissue. The labels would identify the product as containing natural rubber latex, which may cause allergic reactions. The agency is reviewing comments on the proposed regulation, according to Sharon Snider, FDA spokesperson.

Latex allergies have been reported as far back as 1927. But universal precautions, introduced by the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 1987, resulted in an increase in healthcare workers reporting allergic reactions to latex.

Although less than 1 percent of the general population is believed to be allergic to latex, the percentage is higher among healthcare workers—between 17 and 25 percent, according to the CDC. Experts believe constant latex exposure puts some professionals -- nurses, dentists, and laboratory personnel—at an increased risk for sensitivity. Adults and children with conditions requiring multiple surgical procedures, such as spina bifida, are also at increased risk.

There are two types of reactions commonly called “latex allergies.” But only one of them is a reaction to latex itself, said clinical nurse specialist Marianne Gritter, MS, RN, a California representative of the support group Education for Latex Allergy\ Support Team & Information Coalition (ELASTIC). People with this kind of allergy, called Type I, are allergic to latex proteins; they have an immediate response when exposed. The allergic reaction may range from skin rashes or teary eyes to the most severe reaction, anaphylactic shock, according to Gritter, who was diagnosed with Type I reaction in 1993.

The only sure way to prevent a Type I allergic reaction is to avoid exposure to latex. But people who have tried will tell you it’s next to impossible. Since latex can be found in anything from a child’s ball to the elastic in lingerie, an unexpected exposure to latex is likely to occur.

To be on the safe side, most people with a Type I allergy carry a self-administering epinephrine device, nonlatex gloves, an antihistamine, and a card identifying them as being allergic to latex.

Most people mistakenly think people with a Type IV reaction, such as skin irritation, are allergic to latex itself. Actually, they are hypersensitive to one or more of the over 300 chemicals used in processing latex. Reactions, which are not life-threatening, may occur up to 72 hours after exposure. A Type IV sensitivity may progress to a Type I allergy if latex exposure continues. The good news is that in many cases a person can reduce or eliminate Type IV reactions by switching to nonlatex gloves and having co-workers switch to nonpowdered latex gloves.

Avoiding powdered gloves in the workplace can be crucial to reducing latex exposure. Latex proteins are absorbed by the powder traditionally used to make putting gloves on and taking them off easier and faster. Airborne powder—with the latex proteins riding along—can be an irritant when inhaled by a co-worker or patient with a Type IV sensitivity.

For this reason, many hospitals make both powderless gloves and nonlatex gloves available to employees and are developing latex allergy protocols. Andy Fisk heads the latex allergy task force at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. The creation of the task force was spurred by two nurses’ diagnosis of latex allergies and an increasing number of latex-sensitive patients, about three to five a month, according to Fisk, the environmental and radiation safety manager at Methodist.

The group has been working on a latex allergy protocol. If it is adopted, information about patients with latex allergies will be gathered during admission. “It will be interesting to see how many of these patients are health professionals,” Fisk said.

What hospital supplies contain latex? | What household supplies contain latex?
Educate yourself: Resources for information on latex allergies

You can contact us at NURSEWEEK Publishing, 1156 Aster Ave., Suite C, Sunnyvale, CA 94086; (800) 859-2091, fax (408) 249-8204, e-mail nurse@nurseweek.com


URL: http://www.nurseweek.com

This page and all contents are copyright (C) 1996 by NURSEWEEK Publishing Inc., Sunnyvale, California, USA.