Accommodating latex allergy concerns in surgical settings.

CONCERN ABOUT ALLERGIC REACTIONS to natural rubber latex gloves has increased during the past 15 years. These reactions have been attributed mainly to an influx of high-powder, high-protein gloves in response to increasing concerns about AIDS transmission beginning in the late 1980s. THIS ARTICLE REPORTS ON AVAILABLE RESEARCH that details the types and prevalence of potential allergic reactions, supports the use of natural rubber latex gloves in the OR, and recommends strategies to enable health care who are not latex sensitive to continue wearing natural rubber latex gloves in the OR.