| Abstract | BACKGROUND: Natural rubber latex (NRL) has become as a major cause of occupational asthma (OA) in workers using NRL gloves. Few population-based studies have assessed the impact of changes in the patterns of glove usage on the incidence of NRL-induced OA. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the time trends in incident cases of NRL-induced OA in Belgium and examine whether incidence rates were related to the types of gloves used in hospitals. METHODS: Incident cases of NRL-induced OA were identified through a retrospective review of all claims submitted to the Workers' Compensation Board up to December 2004. Based on the results of diagnostic procedures, the diagnosis of NRL-induced OA was categorized as definite, probable, unlikely, or indeterminate. The patterns of glove usage were characterized through a questionnaire survey of Belgian hospitals. RESULTS: A total of 298 claims for NRL-induced OA were identified, including 127 subjects with definite OA and 68 with probable OA. Categorized by the year of asthma onset, the incident cases of definite and probable NRL-induced OA markedly decreased from 1999 onwards. The use of powdered NRL gloves fell from 80.9% in 1989 to 17.9% in 2004. Powdered NRL gloves were predominantly substituted with NRL-free gloves, especially in the case of non-sterile procedures. CONCLUSION: These national compensation-based data confirm that a persistent decline in the incidence of NRL-induced OA has occurred since late 1990s. This downward trend has temporally been associated with a decreasing usage of powdered NRL, further supporting a beneficial role of changes in glove policies. |
| Authors | O Vandenplas, A Larbanois, F Vanassche, S François, J Jamart, M Vandeweerdt, J Thimpont
(Affiliation: Fonds voor de Beroepsziekten-Fonds des Maladies Professionnelles, Brussels, Belgium.)
|
| Journal | Allergy
(Allergy)
Vol. 64
Issue 3
Pg. 415-20
(Mar 2009)
ISSN: 1398-9995 [Electronic] Denmark |
| PMID | 19076543
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
|
| Chemical References |
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| Topics |
- Adult
- Belgium
- Female
- Gloves, Surgical
(adverse effects)
- Humans
- Latex
(adverse effects)
- Latex Hypersensitivity
(epidemiology)
- Male
- Occupational Diseases
(epidemiology)
- Occupational Exposure
- Powders
(adverse effects)
- Time
- Workers' Compensation
|
