Self-reported hand symptoms: a role in monitoring health care workers for latex sensitization

Details

• Personal Author:
  Kelly KJ ; Klancnik M ; Petsonk, Edward L. ; Wang, Mei Lin ; Kelly KJ ; Klancnik M ; Petsonk, Edward L. ; Wang, Mei Lin
• Description:
  Background: The use of powdered natural rubber latex (NRL) gloves increased greatly in the 1980s because of concerns about transmission of blood-borne infections and the subsequent implementation of universal precautions. The most common clinical reactions to glove use are irritant and T-cell-mediated contact dermatitis. However, IgE-mediated immediate reactions to latex have become a serious concern for health care workers (HCWs). The diagnosis of latex allergy requires a comprehensive medical history and diagnostic tests. The skin prick test is the preferred diagnostic method, although it can be timeconsuming. Objective: To determine the role of hand symptoms reported on questionnaires in monitoring HCWs for latex sensitization. Methods: Questionnaires were completed by 804 HCWs at 2 hospitals. Using a positive skin prick test (SPT) result as a criterion standard of latex sensitization, the diagnostic performance of hand symptoms was evaluated. Results: Increasing latex glove use was strongly related to increasing reports of hand symptoms. Hand symptoms were highly associated with glove-related respiratory and systemic symptoms. A positive SPT result was seen in 5% of HCWs and increased with the number of hand symptoms: 0 (1.6%), 1 to 2 (3.4%), and 3 to 7 (19.0%). Participants reporting more than 2 hand symptoms were 11 times more likely to have positive SPT results compared with those with 2 or fewer hand symptoms. Conclusion: Hand symptoms are closely associated with latex sensitization. Questionnaires should be useful in health monitoring for HCWs who use latex gloves. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Dermatitis Health Personnel Hypersensitivity Occupational Health Protective Clothing Respiratory Hypersensitivity Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Skin Skin Diseases Surveys And Questionnaires Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Allergic-dermatitis Allergic-reactions Allergies Hand-protection Health-care-personnel Health-protection Health-surveys Pulmonary-system-disorders Questionnaires Respiratory-hypersensitivity Sensitivity-testing Statistical-analysis Surveillance Work-analysis Work-practices Worker-health Workplace-studies

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• ISSN:
  1081-1206
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Cooperative Agreement
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; OSHA Region 5 ; West Virginia ; Wisconsin
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies ; DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Pages in Document:
  314-318
• Volume:
  109
• Issue:
  5
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20041670
• Citation:
  Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 2012 Nov; 109(5):314-318
• Contact Point Address:
  Mei Lin Wang, MD, MPH, NIOSH, Mail Stop H-G900.2, 1095 Willowdale Rd, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  mlw4@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:90c8105e8f0d10909ab09e3ddf188c0d88f20f502d8185aaa987950a4dea6cba678e09a53be4823cfe975f0473b279eb6f11993af9c3028a285b85d49ae4153d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/194165/cdc_194165_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 389.54 KB ]