Contact Dermatitis & Latex Allergy

Contact dermatitis can develop from frequent and repeated use of hand hygiene products, exposure to chemicals, and glove use. Contact dermatitis is classified as either irritant or allergic. Irritant contact dermatitis is common, nonallergic, and develops as dry, itchy, irritated areas on the skin around the area of contact. Allergic contact dermatitis can result from exposure to accelerators and other chemicals used to manufacture rubber gloves or from exposure to other chemicals found in the dental practice setting. Allergic contact dermatitis often causes a rash beginning hours after contact and, like irritant dermatitis, is usually confined to the areas of contact.

References

American Dental Association. Oral Health Topic: Allergy to Latex Rubber. http://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/allergy-to-latex-rubber. Accessed March 17, 2016.

CDC. National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). NIOSH Alert: Preventing allergic reactions to natural rubber latex in the workplace. Cincinnati, OH: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1997. Available at: www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/97-135/. Accessed March 17, 2016.

CDC. National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Latex Allergy: A Prevention Guide. Questions and Answers about identifying and preventing latex allergy. Cincinnati, OH: US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health DHHS NIOSH Publication No. 98-113. Available at: www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/98-113/. Accessed March 17, 2016.

CDC. National Institutes of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Occupational Latex Allergies. US Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, CDC, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 1997. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/latex/. Accessed March 17, 2016.

CDC. Guidelines for infection control in dental health-care settings – 2003. MMWR 2003; 52(No. RR-17):1–66. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5217.pdf[PDF-1.2M]. Accessed March 17, 2016.

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