Comment on Latex Glove Allergies

From: LS
Date: 8/21/99
Time: 8:35:54 PM
Remote Name: 153.35.140.64

Comments

The article on latex allergies in this months issue is very well written, and very appropriate for this audience. However, there is one piece of information that I feel should be added as well.

While a good number of the folks who react to latex gloves are indeed allergic to latex itself, there is another allergen that is present in most gloves which needs to be accounted for as well...methylchloroisothiozonlinone. That substance with the lovely mouthful of a name is used in the processing of latex gloves, usually marked as chlorinated. However, it is also present in most liquid soaps, shampoos, hair conditioners, lotions, some radiographic developing solutions, and several other products. It is a rather common allergen, and can easily be tested using a skin patch. If anyone suspects an allergy to gloves, but notices that the rash does not go completely away after discontinuing use, or appears on other parts of the body, consider having this allergy test performed.