Quality of life in patients with latex allergy.

BACKGROUND Exposure to natural rubber latex (NRL) may lead to a variety of allergic clinical manifestations that may affect the quality of life (QOL). AIM To assess QOL of patients with different clinical effects of NRL allergy including rhino-conjunctivitis, asthma, anaphylaxis and skin manifestations. METHOD A questionnaire to assess QOL was mailed to 56 patients who had been assessed and managed for various clinical manifestations of latex allergy at a university affiliated hospital in Toronto, Canada. RESULTS Thirty-one questionnaires were completed and returned. Thirty of the respondents were health care workers. Forty-one percent of the respondents had changed their jobs to reduce exposure to latex and 13% had stopped working. However the respondents did not report a great effect on the QOL related to latex allergy. CONCLUSION The results of this study indicate that the various clinical manifestations of latex allergy can be managed so that there is no significant interference with QOL.