1. Assessing latex allergy among health care employees using workers' compensation data.
- Author
-
Horwitz IB, Kammeyer-Mueller JD, and McCall BP
- Subjects
- Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Incidence, North Dakota, Workers' Compensation statistics & numerical data, Health Personnel statistics & numerical data, Latex Hypersensitivity epidemiology, Occupational Diseases epidemiology
- Abstract
Latex allergies among health care workers have garnered considerable attention from medical researchers and practitioners. However, the majority of research on natural rubber latex allergy has focused on clinical methodologies and emphasized the quantification of employee sensitization rates as opposed to actual incidents of reactivity. Workers' compensation data provide information on the number and impact of reactions to latex use. This article presents an analysis of health care workers' compensation data from North Dakota to estimate the prevalence, costs, and nature of claims associated with latex allergic reaction. The results show an annual average claim rate of 1.52 per 10,000 health care workers employed in the state, and annual costs averaging about $.08 per health care worker. Skin disorders were the most commonly reported condition. These findings are compared with previous studies of Minnesota and Rhode Island and demonstrate similar results.
- Published
- 2001