An Analysis of Skin Prick Tests to Latex and Patch Tests to Rubber Additives and other Causative Factors among Dental Professionals and Students with Contact Dermatoses

Scientific paper - Original scientific paper

• Author: Iva Japundžić
• Author: Marin Vodanović
• Author: Liborija Lugović-Mihić; MBZ: 215056
• Author's institution: (Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital Center)
• Author's institution: (Zagreb University Hispital Center)
• Author's institution: University of Zagreb; School of Dental Medicine
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Dental Medicine

Abstract (english)

Background: Dental workers often experience unwanted allergic and nonallergic skin reactions resulting in different contact dermatoses (e.g., contact urticaria, irritant and allergic contact dermatitis) that are often attributed to rubber gloves. Objective: To examine allergic and nonallergic contact dermatoses by different methods amongst dental professionals and dental students, more specifically, reactions to natural rubber latex (NRL), rubber additives, and other causative factors. Methods:... More In this cross-sectional study we surveyed a total of 444 subjects (dentists, assistants, technicians, and students); 200 agreed to be tested to latex by the standard skin prick test (SPT) and prick-by-prick test, of whom 107 were patch tested to rubber additives (mercapto mix, thiuram mix, carba mix, and N-isopropyl-N-phenyl-4-phenylenediamine [IPPD]). Results: Skin lesions appeared significantly more frequently with longer work experience (p = 0.002; V = 0.181), frequent glove changes (p < 0.001; V = 0.310), and hand washing (p < 0.001; V = 0.263), and in subjects with a history of allergies (atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and others) (p < 0.001; V = 0.183). Positive SPTs to latex occurred in 14/200 subjects (7%), of whom 5/14 subjects (35.7%) were also positive in prick-by-prick tests. Patch tests were positive in 5/104 subjects (4.8%) (mercapto mix 1%, thiuram mix 1.9%, and carba mix 1.9%). Conclusion: Only a small number of our subjects were allergic to latex (7%) or rubber additives (4.8%). Thus, self-reported contact dermatoses (during NRL product use) in dental professionals and students are not commonly caused by allergies to latex and rubber additives, as is often assumed, but by other factors. Less

• Keywords (english): Allergy; Contact dermatitis; Dentists; Latex gloves; Students
• Language: english
• Publication type: Scientific paper - Original scientific paper
• Publication status: Published
• Peer review: Peer review - international
• Publication version: Published version
• Journal title: International Archives of Allergy and Immunology
• Numbering: vol. 177, no. 3, pp. 238-244
• p-ISSN: 1018-2438
• e-ISSN: 1423-0097
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1159/000490181
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:127:691665
• Publication: 2018
• Document URL: https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/490181
• Type of resource: Text
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2024-03-14 11:13:34