A medical-center-wide, multidisciplinary approach to the problem of natural rubber latex allergy.

Latex is a common cause of occupational allergy in health care workers; latex-sensitized patients are at increased risk of allergic reactions in medical environments. Skin test reagents and latex-specific immunoglobulin E immunoassays were established for diagnosis of latex allergy. Inhibition immunoassays were developed for measuring latex aeroallergens and latex allergens in rubber products. A registry of latex-sensitive employees was established. High-allergen gloves were removed from the medical center inventory; latex aeroallergen levels subsequently declined. Despite an increasing number of gloves used annually, expenditures for gloves in 1994 were lower than in previous years. Latex-sensitive individuals can be identified using skin tests or immunoassays. Latex aeroallergen levels in medical environments can be reduced substantially at lower cost by using powder-free rubber gloves with lower allergen content.