Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Microcap & Penny Stocks : AMERICAN BIOMED, Minimally Invasive Technology (ABMI) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: samcat9 who wrote (1362)	6/25/1998 11:10:00 PM
From: Jeffrey L. Henken	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 2887

In and out of the health care field, latex has it hand on allergies: wcinet.com Last fall, Kathy Anthony, an intensive care nurse, would begin each shift at The Finley Hospital with itchy eyes. As the hours went by, her hands would itch and her neck would break out in a rash. Unsure of what was causing the problem, Anthony sought help from Finley's Business Health Clinic. Obviously, she had an allergy, but she wanted to know what was causing the symptoms. Using a process of elimination, Anthony, 35, learned she was allergic to latex. The news was devastating, because health care providers come in contact with latex on a daily basis. "I was wondering if I would have to look for a new job," she recalled. Fortunately, there were changes the hospital could make to accommodate her allergy, and Anthony began taking a daily antihistamine pill to kept her symptoms in check. "The medicine is costly, but it definitely helps," she said. There are more than 40,000 products available today that include latex, a rubber product used frequently in health care equipment. As latex makes its way into more products, and those products are used more frequently, a greater number of people are discovering they have an allergic reaction, said Barb Horsfall, employee health nurse with Finley's Business Health Clinic. With the advent of universal precautions in the late 1980s, latex gloves became a mandatory part of the uniform. The gloves offered extra protection for health care workers from exposure to body fluids. Demand for latex soared, and glove usage increased eight-fold in one year. Over the years, the downside to glove use and latex products surfaced - more people were complaining of allergy symptoms. "Before then, you didn't hear too much about it," said Janet Hefel, an epidemiologist with Mercy Health Center. When Anthony sought treatment, she quickly learned she is not alone. As many as one in every 10 nurses have a latex allergy, and it is estimated 18 million Americans suffer allergy symptoms. "I've think we've seen it as a growing problem," Hefel said. "I know there are several employees in our facility that have allergies." Latex allergies can compromise the health of patients receiving medical attention, and the allergies can be a major problem for health care providers who are exposed to the rubber product on a daily basis. Mercy initiated a latex allergy alert system in 1996, which addresses symptoms in both staff and patients, she said. Finley developed a Latex Allergy Task Force in October to review hospital policy, and new policies were recommended. Both hospitals have switched or are in the process of changing from powdered latex gloves to powder-free gloves. Powdered gloves, while common in hospitals, cause significant problems for those with allergies. Latex protein binds to the powder which is released into the air every time the gloves are used and remain on the skin. Employees are exposed through skin contact and by inhaling the powder. The changes have allowed those with allergy symptoms to continue working. "They are still employed in areas that use latex products, but we have minimized (the exposure) so they don't have to be in direct contact," Hefel said. The Finley task force also recommended requiring employees with known allergies to wear a medic alert bracelet or other form of identification and requiring each person to carry a epinephrine auto-injector in the case of a severe reaction. "Latex allergies can be serious," Hefel said. "While most people exhibit minor reactions such as skin reactions, itchy, watery eyes, you can go into full cardiac shock. This is not something you want to fool around with."