Latex allergy: an intraoperative hazard.

Abstract

First described in 1979, immediate hypersensitivity to latex has been occurring with increasing frequency. Though it has not been reported in the plastic surgery literature, hypersensitivity to rubber can present in the operating room with symptoms that range from mild urticaria to frank anaphylactic shock. Frequent contact with latex products appears to predispose certain groups to hypersensitivity. Diagnostic testing is not yet standardized and, when latex allergy is suspected, referral to an allergist is appropriate. Hypersensitive patients may be operated on safely with premedication and avoidance of latex products.