Prevention of IgE sensitization to latex in health care workers after reduction of antigen exposures

Details

• Personal Author:
  Kelly KJ ; Klancnik M ; Petsonk, Edward L. ; Wang, Mei Lin
• Description:
  Objective: To investigate occupational latex allergy in health care workers (HCWs) before and after an intervention designed to reduce latex allergen exposure from gloves. Methods: Latex antigen concentrations in work area air ducts were measured before the intervention. Symptoms and latex sensitization were monitored annually before and after the intervention in 805 HCWs, using questionnaires and skin prick testing. Results: The prevalence of latex sensitization before the intervention correlated with air duct latex antigen measurements, for HCWs exposed to low (9/413, 2%), intermediate (23/292, 8%), and high (11/67, 16%) antigen levels, P < 0.0001. After the intervention, new latex sensitization rates declined 16-fold, and 25% of previously sensitized employees reverted to negative skin tests. Conclusion: Airborne antigen exposure is a major source of latex sensitization among HCWs. Use of powder-free latex gloves markedly reduces the risk of sensitization. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Air Pollutants, Occupational Dust Environmental Monitoring Health Personnel Hypersensitivity Immune System Irritants Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Particulate Matter Respiratory Hypersensitivity Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Surveys And Questionnaires Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Airborne-dusts Allergens Allergic-reactions Allergies Exposure-assessment Exposure-levels Health-care-personnel Immune-reaction Medical-personnel Occupational-exposure Quantitative-analysis Questionnaires Respiratory-hypersensitivity Respiratory-irritants Risk-analysis Risk-factors Surveillance Worker-health Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  1076-2752
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; West Virginia ; Wisconsin
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  53
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20039189
• Citation:
  J Occup Environ Med 2011 Aug; 53(8):934-940
• Contact Point Address:
  Kevin J. Kelly, MD, Department of Pediatrics (Allergy/Immunology) and Medicine, 999 N 92nd St, C-730, Wauwatosa, WI 53226
• Email:
  kjkelly@mcw.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:209fd897f8cfe6b8ce56bb71a3761e4e35bc2e52d515358387d4fe0b8d5c0770f7182e49bb2f5685059028b58443bcf42f62091ae1f5921cb6f4bea7f91dfa23
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/192628/cdc_192628_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 112.05 KB ]