T he rate of latex sensitization has been increasing since its first recognition in 1979, and anesthesiologists encounter patients with a diagnosis of latex allergy more and more often (1). Latex is a ubiquitous material that is found in balloons, condoms, and many surgical and nonsurgical products. Anesthesiologists, like many other types of physicians who often wear latex gloves, may also bec...

BACKGROUND The issue of safety in the surgical procedure has recently been widely and openly discussed at the World Health Organization. The use of latex gloves is the current standard of protection during surgery, as they remain intact throughout the procedure. The present study was designed to evaluate the rate of glove perforation during a two-hand technique using polyester sutures in a cont...

The prevalence and severity of latex allergy has increased dramatically in the last 15 years due to exposure to natural rubber products. Although historically this health risk has been elevated in hospital personnel and patients, a recent survey has indicated a significant potential risk for the general population. To obtain a wide-spread source for latex exposure, we have considered tire debri...

Immediate hypersensitivity reaction to latex was first reported in Germany in 1927'. The next report appeared 1ll 1979 when Nutter2 described a case of contact urticaria due to the use of household gloves. Since then, there has been considerable increase in the number of reported cases of immediate type hypersensitivity to latex products. The clinical manifestations of the allergic reaction con...

Sensory feedback from cutaneous mechanoreceptors in the fingertips is important in effective object manipulation, allowing appropriate scaling of grip and load forces during precision grip. However, the role of mechanoreceptor subtypes in these tasks remains incompletely understood. To address this issue, psychophysical tasks that may specifically assess function of type I fast-adapting (FAI) a...

PURPOSE Surgeons have noticed an increased incidence of finger lacerations associated with arthroscopic knot tying with solid-core suture material. This study examines glove perforations and finger lacerations during arthroscopic shoulder surgery. METHODS We collected 400 surgical gloves from 50 consecutive arthroscopic shoulder repair procedures using No. 2 solid-core sutures. Two surgeons u...

The prevalence of natural rubber latex (NRL) allergy has been estimated to be 5-18% in health care workers, and latex exposure has been one of the leading causes of occupational asthma in the last several years. We present the cases of two nurses who developed sensitivity to NRL, both with dermatologic symptoms and respiratory symptoms that included asthma. They were referred to the University ...

To the Editor: Since 1989, many cases of allergic reactions to latex have been reported in the literature.' We report an allergic reaction to latex during ENT surgery. A four-year-old boy was admitted for adenoidectomy and insertion of transtympanic drains. His past history included several operations related to a lumbosacral meningomyelocele. No allergic reaction was mentioned in the medical r...

Healthcare workers (HCWs) embody the principles of hand hygiene and protective attire to support self- patient safety, but materials involved in this process are found be offending agents. The incidence occupational contact dermatitis (OCD) among HCWs keeps increasing. This review aimed evaluate effectiveness, investigate outcome clinical skin condition improvement with implementation primary p...