Latex allergies: overview, prevention and implications for nursing care. 1995

B Blaylock

Latex allergies are becoming increasingly common among healthcare workers and patients since the initiation of the use of universal precautions. Select groups of patients and professionals are at higher risk for this problem, such as workers in the rubber and healthcare industries, and persons with congenital urologic abnormalities, spina bifida, myelodysplasis and any other condition requiring frequent exposure of skin or mucous membranes to latex products. Specific interventions and alterations in standard procedure are required to prevent latex complications, such as compiling a list of products that contain latex and alternative latex-free products, screening for latex allergy upon admission, and creating a written policy to protect workers. A multidisciplinary approach is needed to investigate which products contain latex and to establish protocols for each department.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D006967 Hypersensitivity Altered reactivity to an antigen, which can result in pathologic reactions upon subsequent exposure to that particular antigen. Allergy,Allergic Reaction,Allergic Reactions,Allergies,Hypersensitivities,Reaction, Allergic,Reactions, Allergic
D007840 Latex A milky, product excreted from the latex canals of a variety of plant species that contain cauotchouc. Latex is composed of 25-35% caoutchouc, 60-75% water, 2% protein, 2% resin, 1.5% sugar & 1% ash. RUBBER is made by the removal of water from latex.(From Concise Encyclopedia Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 3rd ed). Hevein proteins are responsible for LATEX HYPERSENSITIVITY. Latexes are used as inert vehicles to carry antibodies or antigens in LATEX FIXATION TESTS. Latices,Latice
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012307 Risk Factors An aspect of personal behavior or lifestyle, environmental exposure, inborn or inherited characteristic, which, based on epidemiological evidence, is known to be associated with a health-related condition considered important to prevent. Health Correlates,Risk Factor Scores,Risk Scores,Social Risk Factors,Population at Risk,Populations at Risk,Correlates, Health,Factor, Risk,Factor, Social Risk,Factors, Social Risk,Risk Factor,Risk Factor Score,Risk Factor, Social,Risk Factors, Social,Risk Score,Score, Risk,Score, Risk Factor,Social Risk Factor
D015994 Incidence The number of new cases of a given disease during a given period in a specified population. It also is used for the rate at which new events occur in a defined population. It is differentiated from PREVALENCE, which refers to all cases in the population at a given time. Attack Rate,Cumulative Incidence,Incidence Proportion,Incidence Rate,Person-time Rate,Secondary Attack Rate,Attack Rate, Secondary,Attack Rates,Cumulative Incidences,Incidence Proportions,Incidence Rates,Incidence, Cumulative,Incidences,Person time Rate,Person-time Rates,Proportion, Incidence,Rate, Attack,Rate, Incidence,Rate, Person-time,Rate, Secondary Attack,Secondary Attack Rates
D016635 Universal Precautions Prudent standard preventive measures to be taken by professional and other health personnel in contact with persons afflicted with a communicable disease, to avoid contracting the disease by contagion or infection. Precautions are especially applicable in the diagnosis and care of AIDS patients. Precautions, Universal,Precaution, Universal,Universal Precaution

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