Latex allergy
Latex allergy: Excerpt from Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)
Latex is a substance found in an increasing number of products both on the job and in the home environment. Also increasing is the number of latex allergies. Latex allergy is a hypersensitivity reaction to products that contain natural latex, which is derived from the sap of a rubber tree, not synthetic latex. These hypersensitivity reactions range from local dermatitis to a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction.
Causes and incidence
Approximately 1% of the population has a latex allergy. Anyone who is in frequent contact with latex-containing products is at risk for developing a latex allergy. (See Products that contain latex, page 358.)The more frequent the exposure, the higher the risk. The populations at highest risk are medical and dental professionals, workers in latex companies, and patients with spina bifida.
Other individuals at risk include:
❑ patients with a history of asthma or other allergies, especially to bananas, avocados, tropical fruits, or chestnuts
❑ patients with a history of multiple intra-abdominal or genitourinary surgeries
❑ patients who require frequent intermittent urinary catheterization.
Signs and symptoms
Early signs that a life-threatening hypersensitivity reaction may be occurring include hypotension, tachycardia, and oxygen desaturation. Other clinical findings include urticaria, flushing, bronchospasm, difficulty breathing, pruritus, palpitations, abdominal pain, and syncope. Mild signs and symptoms may include itchy skin, swollen lips, nausea, diarrhea, and red, swollen, teary eyes.
Diagnosis
A patient who describes even the mildest symptoms during a history and physical assessment should be suspected of having a latex allergy. The patient may describe dermatitis or mild respiratory distress when using latex gloves, inflating a balloon, or coming in contact with other latex products.
Confirming diagnosis A blood test for latex sensitivity can confirm the diagnosis. This test, which measures specific immunoglobulin E antibodies against latex, should be used only when latex allergy is suspected; it isn’t recommended as a screening tool.
Treatment
The best treatment of latex allergy is prevention; the more a latex-sensitive person is exposed to latex, the worse his symptoms will become. To avoid exposure, advise the patient to substitute products made of silicone and vinyl for those made of latex.
When a latex allergy is suspected or known, the patient may receive medications before and after surgery or other invasive procedures. Premedications may include prednisone, diphenhydramine, and cimetidine. Postmedications may include hydrocortisone, diphenhydramine, and famotidine.
There’s no known treatment for an allergic reaction to latex. Care is supportive in nature. The patient’s airway, breathing, and circulation must be monitored. An artificial airway, oxygen therapy, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and fluid management may be necessary. During an acute reaction, epinephrine, diphenhydramine, and hydrocortisone are commonly administered by I.V. infusion.
Special considerations
❑ Make sure that items that aren’t available in a latex-free form, such as stethoscopes and blood pressure cuffs, are wrapped in cloth before they come in contact with a hypersensitive patient’s skin.
❑ Place the patient in a private room or with another patient who requires a latex-free environment.
❑ When adding medication to an I.V. bag, inject the drug through the spike port, not the rubber latex port.
❑ Urge the patient to wear an identification tag mentioning his latex allergy.
❑ Teach the patient and family members how to use an epinephrine autoinjector.
❑ Teach the patient to be aware of all latex-containing products and to use vinyl or silicone products instead. Advise him that Mylar balloons don’t contain latex.
Pictures
Book Source Details
- Book Title: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)
- Author(s): Springhouse
- Year of Publication: 2005
- Copyright Details: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), Copyright © 2005 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
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- "Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition)" (2005)
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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