1. Natural rubber latex hypersensitivity: incidence and prevalence of type I allergy in the dental professional.
- Author
-
Hamann CP, Turjanmaa K, Rietschel R, Siew C, Owensby D, Gruninger SE, and Sullivan KM
- Subjects
- Adult, American Dental Association, Dental Assistants, Dental Hygienists, Dental Instruments adverse effects, Dental Materials adverse effects, Dermatitis, Allergic Contact epidemiology, Dermatitis, Allergic Contact etiology, Dermatitis, Occupational diagnosis, Dermatitis, Occupational etiology, Dermatitis, Occupational prevention & control, Female, Food Hypersensitivity epidemiology, Food Hypersensitivity etiology, Humans, Hypersensitivity, Immediate diagnosis, Hypersensitivity, Immediate etiology, Hypersensitivity, Immediate prevention & control, Incidence, Male, Middle Aged, Prevalence, Sex Factors, Skin Tests, Surveys and Questionnaires, United States epidemiology, Dental Auxiliaries, Dentists, Dermatitis, Occupational epidemiology, Gloves, Surgical adverse effects, Hypersensitivity, Immediate epidemiology, Rubber adverse effects
- Abstract
The authors investigated the prevalence of immediate (Type I) hypersensitivity to gloves made from natural rubber latex, or NRL, by performing skin-prick tests on 2,166 dental workers over the course of a two-year period (with two one-year intervals). The investigator used two separate eluents made from different brands of natural rubber latex gloves. The study, conducted in 1994 and 1995 as part of the American Dental Association's Annual Health Screening Program, found that 6.2 percent of the participants (dentists, hygienists and assistants) tested positive for Type I hypersensitivity to NRL proteins.
- Published
- 1998
- Full Text
- View/download PDF