THE FDA SAYS ONLY 1% OF LATEX DEATHS ARE REPORTED

Delayed contact dermatitis from chemicals in rubber has been recognized
since the 1930s.4 But except for rare early reports, clinicians did not
appreciate systemic allergic reactions to latex proteins until 1979, when
case reports began to appear in Europe. 5

Latex allergy erupted in the United States shortly after the Centers for
Disease Control introduced universal precautions in 1987. By late 1992,
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received 1133 reports of serious
allergic reactions and anaphylaxis occurring to patients and health care
staff associated with 30 classes of latex medical devices. There were 15
patient deaths associated with latex barium enema catheters.5,6

The FDA estimated that the reports represented only 1% of actual
occurrences.6

Today, researchers hypothesize that the latex allergy outbreak is the
result of multiple factors including deficiencies in manufacturing
processes, increased latex exposure, hand care practices, immunological
cross reactivity, and changes in latex agricultural practices.1,7,8, 45

Latex allergy affects between 8%-12% of workers in all health disciplines.
Latex allergy also affects up to 51% of children with spina bifida, and
approximately 1% of the general population.

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