Question

What precautions would you take if a new patient in your office said that he was allergic to latex?

Answer 1

Patients who are only mildly sensitive to latex products should observe the following precautions:

1. Avoid contact with natural rubber latex products .Non-latex substitutes are available for most commonly used natural products.
2. Before visiting doctors or dentists for any examination or procedure, warn them of your allergy to latex. Ask to be scheduled as the first patient in the day in order to minimize your exposure to airborne latex particles. Allergy causing latex dust is put into the air when staff put on and take off powdered natural rubber latex gloves. Dust from non-latex gloves will not cause an allergic reaction, since it is the latex (not the powder) which is allergenic.
3. If you work in high latex exposure areas and have skin irritation, hay fever or asthma symptoms, you must advise the employee health department and consult a physician about your treatment. You may only be able to work in that environment if your symptoms are minimal or if your co-workers change to non-latex or powderless natural rubber latex gloves.
4. You should consult with your physician about medicine you can take to reduce allergy symptoms.
5. You should be aware that some latex allergic people also have certain food allergies. Foods so far associated with latex include bananas, avocados, and chestnuts. If any of these foods give you symptoms such as itching around the mouth, local swelling, hives or shortness of breath, you should avoid them.

Patients who are very sensitive to latex - for example, react even when briefly in contact with a balloon or glove - should take the following additional precautions:

1. Obtain and wear a Medic Alert bracelet printed with severe allergy to natural rubber latex.
2. When traveling to areas where medical supplies are limited, carry with you a variety of sizes of non-latex sterile gloves, in case you should need emergency medical or dental work. Non-latex sterile gloves are a specialty item that should be obtained in advance of traveling to these regions. Consult your doctor or hospital.
3. Be familiar with the proper use of the self-administration of epinephrine (adrenalin). The indications and proper use of this should be explained by your physician.
4. Prior to surgery you should consult your physician about the need for a latex-free operating environment.