The prevalence of latex sensitisation and allergy and associated risk factors among healthcare workers using hypoallergenic latex gloves at King Edward VIII Hospital, KwaZulu-Natal South Africa: a cross-sectional study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The present study describes latex sensitisation and allergy prevalence and associated factors among healthcare workers using hypoallergenic latex gloves at King Edward VIII Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

A tertiary hospital in eThekwini municipality, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

Participants

600 healthcare workers were randomly selected and 501 (337 exposed and 164 unexposed) participated. Participants who were pregnant, with less than 1 year of work as a healthcare worker and a history of anaphylactic reaction were excluded from the study.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Latex sensitisation and latex allergy were the outcome of interest and they were successfully measured.

Results

SUBMITTER: Phaswana SM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3863123 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature