Latex Allergies

Trauma Columnist · Mar 23, 2006

Hi Fran - and welcome. Many of the ER's here in the states and in fact many hospitals are making the change to be completely latex-free. I would investigate it prior to taking a position though. BTW - did you have the RAST (blood test) or do you have a contact dermatitis type?

JSRN81 · Mar 23, 2006

Fran,

I have a SEVERE latex allergy (including a positive RAST Test mentioned by TraumaRUs). The hospital I work in is close to "Latex Free" meaning anything that doesn't HAVE to be latex (Swan-Ganz Balloons, some tape, ect have latex in them) isn't. Some of our sterile packs have latex gloves in them and our actual sterile gloves are latex. However, because I did have proper documentation, my hospital MUST (under policy) make exceptions for me and provide me with latex free products. I did need a script from the Health Office at the hospital to say that indeed I did need this stuff because like you mentioned, it is expensive. But, I believe here in the US, that this sort of thing is covered under the American With Disabilities Act wherein the must provide reasonable accomindations for people with "disabilities". It's not the most common form of "disability" but indeed, it would impeed me from my work if I didn't have latex free gloves!

The only other thing I have to be careful with is when I am around people with latex glloves and have to make sure I do not have contact with them or inhale the powder from them. My co-workers are aware of my allergy and know that I cannot use latex products. My hospital is very careful about it, and when I ruptured my quad muscle and had to have surgery there, they realized that they accidentally opened the sterile case and other stuff with latex gloves and wheeled me back out of the OR and ditched EVERYTHING in the room and reopened it, latex free.

I hope that you can find somewhere that will provide you with reasonable acoomidations without too much trouble. Good Luck.

Jen

Editorial Team / Admin · Mar 23, 2006

Latex Allergies
Hi Everyone, I am a Nurse Practitioner working in a GP (Doctor) surgery and have a latex allergy. Recently I applied for a job at my local hospital to work in A&E (ER) and was told by Occupational Health that it would be to expensive to employ me. Because A&E would need to buy all new equipment that, was Latex free including trolleys and uniforms
I have previous experience working in A&E for 5 years before moving to Primary care, and the only thing they supplied was latex free gloves which all the other staff kept using because they said was better.
I am in the process of looking at moving to the states in the near future, my questions is in the states do you have similar problems with latex allergies, and do employers discriminate for having latex allergy????????
Fran (from England)

Hello, Fran_Nurse,

Well, here in the U.S., we have laws protecting the individual from such practices as you have discussed here.

The Americans with Disability Act prohibits discrimination of the individual in every workplace based on a disability. And, a latex allergy can and is classified as a disability. One need not be receiving disability benefits to be placed in this category.

A "qualified individual with a disability" is one who possess all skills and education necessary to do the job and has a disability. Said individual can perform all job duties with or without reasonable accomodations.

"Reasonable accomodations" means the facility must make the area/s of the job in question accessible for the applicant.

But.......

There is a part of the law that states if changes in the facility (in order to provide reasonable accomodations for the applicant) places a hardship on the operation of said facility due to requiring expensive changes, then the facility is not required to comply.

I've attempted to simplify the wordage of the law here. But, to answer your question, the facility could be well within their rights (here, in the U.S.) in refusing to hire you based on the "hardship" clause.

And, I'm certain there are many attorneys who would challenge any and all parts of this.

I am sorry you are having a hard time finding employment. I hope you find something soon and something you enjoy doing.

Good luck.

LPN1974, LPN · Mar 23, 2006

Yes, I have a latex allergy. I noticed my hands itched alot when I used latex gloves.

We have other people on my job who have latex allergies also, so it wasn't just me.

They switched to all vinyl gloves and I have no problem now.

I don't really come in contact with anything else made of latex, enough, that it causes me a problem. Gloves are EVERY single day.

My dentist also uses vinyl on me.

lpnstudentin2010, LPN · Mar 23, 2006

The hospital I go to is latex free (well as latex free as possible)

Fran_Nurse · Mar 24, 2006

Hi there everyone and Thank You for all your comments so far.

I have had one serious anaphylaxes, whilst working a night shift in A&E, when I junior Doctor snapped off his latex gloves in my face and I must have inhaled the powder, within minutes I was being dragged into rhesus that was the end of my night shift my husband was called to take me home afterwards. However, normal it is just contact dermatitis, and as long as I were vinyl gloves, I am fine.

Just waiting for my husband to finish his nurse training then we are planning to move to the states, with our two boys hopefully for a better life style.

Cheers everyone

Fran

[bANANA]We Want Latex Free Gloves[/bANANA]

LPN1974, LPN · Mar 24, 2006

Hi there everyone and Thank You for all your comments so far.
I have had one serious anaphylaxes, whilst working a night shift in A&E, when I junior Doctor snapped off his latex gloves in my face and I must have inhaled the powder, within minutes I was being dragged into rhesus that was the end of my night shift my husband was called to take me home afterwards. However, normal it is just contact dermatitis, and as long as I were vinyl gloves, I am fine.
Just waiting for my husband to finish his nurse training then we are planning to move to the states, with our two boys hopefully for a better life style.
[/bANANA]

So the powder affected you!

I always thought it was really the powder, too, that made my hands itch, but I had people tell me, no, that's just cornhstarch powder and that doesn't cause itching.

But of course I don't know what's in that powder and neither does anyone else.

But I'm not going to go back to powder free latex gloves just to find out if it is the powder.

Welcome to the states...when you get here!

Fran_Nurse · Mar 26, 2006

Hi all,

Yes it was the powder from inside the gloves that set me off that night.

I had been careful all night wearing my Vineyl gloves, I was helping a junior Doctor and when he snapped his gloves there was a plume of powder and within minutes I was having breathing problems. Lucky for me been in the right place to get treatment.

Anybody else with similar story's or problems feel free to add them.

When I went to Maternity to have my Boys they had to order stock in special for me and it was labled just for me as well. Thats how unpreapared they are.

A&E where I worked Are better now and have latex free equipment.

[banana]We Want Latex Free Gloves[/banana]

grannynurse FNP student · Mar 26, 2006

Hi all,
Yes it was the powder from inside the gloves that set me off that night.
I had been careful all night wearing my Vineyl gloves, I was helping a junior Doctor and when he snapped his gloves there was a plume of powder and within minutes I was having breathing problems. Lucky for me been in the right place to get treatment.
Anybody else with similar story's or problems feel free to add them.
When I went to Maternity to have my Boys they had to order stock in special for me and it was labled just for me as well. Thats how unpreapared they are.
A&E where I worked Are better now and have latex free equipment.
[banana]We Want Latex Free Gloves[/banana]

The powder is what the microscopic particles of shed latex attach to but it is definitely the latex that one is reacting to. Latex allergy starts as a reaction to gloves generally but both the facility and the individual ignore it. :nono: It broadens until it can become a real life and death threat. No allergy should be ignored.

Grannynurse:balloons:

rjflyn, ASN, RN · Mar 27, 2006

Slowly more and more hospitals are going latex free. I work ER and our Emergency Nurses Assocition has the position that all ER's should be latex free.

As an example- we had a patient come to one ER I was working with an allergic reaction. Anyway this person's conditon kept getting worse and worse despite aggressive treatment. It wasn't until one of the doctors surmised that maybe the patient was allergic to latex and we stopped using latex items on said patient did their status improve.

Also now alot of hospitals are asking about latex allergy when they hire staff and provide alternate items ie the nurse her own box of gloves if they dont use non-latex exclusively already.

rj

grantja · Nov 28, 2006

I also have a serious latex allergy, developed numerous food allergies after

2nd anaphylatic reaction, have had 4 analyphatic reactions to latex products...I can write a book on latex and cross over food allergies..

Had Rast testing which was positive, and testing for food allergies which were positive for banana's,bell pepper,red pepper,shellfish,kiwi fruit,papaya,strawberries...developed allergies to penicillin,mycin drugs,sulfa,

motrin,aspirin....also while in ER being treated for anaphylasis, I was given Benadyrl IV and my BP shot up to 210/110....doctor's reccommend no more

Benadyrl..........My reactions to latex began as contact dermatitis....then one

day while working BOOM! I had a anaphylatic reaction.....that was in 1990,

so I got educated on Latex...Did you know there is latex in gum? I guess my point is if you are having any kind of reaction to latex products please get

educated on Latex Allergies, see an Allergist, get a epi pen(I carry 3...and have used them on many occasions)..........this can really change your life..

PS...If you have a respiratory allergy you can react if latex gloves are removed by staff members.....so hospitals can supply you with non-latex gloves, but if you are super sensitive you can still have a reaction.

Unfortunately, I am not allergic to cake, ice cream, chocolate. donuts........