Latex

General information

Latex is present in many medical devices, including surgical and examination gloves, catheters, intubation tubes, anesthesia masks, and dental fillers. Reported allergic reactions range from contact urticaria to anaphylaxis [ ]. There has been a marked worldwide increase during recent years in the rate of reactions to latex. These reactions are due to either or both:

• 1.

  The formulation chemicals (vulcanizers, stabilizers, preservatives). These cause mainly local delayed hypersensitivity reactions. However, some of these chemicals are also carcinogenic, and may have more serious and not immediately apparent consequences.

• 2.

  Proteins in the latex. These can cause generalized systemic allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, which can be severe and life-threatening.

Latex condoms degrade over time. Such degradation has a significant effect on the product’s ability to provide a barrier to sexually transmitted agents, including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The FDA has issued a final regulation requiring that the labelling of latex condoms shall contain an expiry date based on physical and mechanical testing performed after exposing the product to varying conditions that age latex, both on the outside packaging and on the individual packaging [ ]. The agency has also stipulated that if a latex condom contains spermicide and if the expiry date based upon spermicidal stability testing is different from the expiry date based on latex integrity testing, the product shall bear only the earlier expiry date.

Organs and systems