Latex allergy frequently affects glove-using health care workers (HCW). Our national strategy has been to perform regular surveys on the allergen content of marketed medical latex gloves and to give an open access for the consumers, sales persons and manufacturers to the lists of high-, moderate- and low-allergenic glove brands.

Incidence of latex allergy among HCW (physicians, dentists and nurses) was analyzed from the Finnish Register of Occupational Diseases. Total latex allergen content of the marketed glove brands, all of which were imported, was performed with an IgE ELISA inhibition assay (Allergy 1998;53:59-67).

Incidence of latex allergy/10.000 HCW was 2.77 (95% CI 2.37 to 3.22) in 1992-96 and 1.61 (CI 1.30 to 1.96) in 1997-2001. The incidence ratio of these two periods is 1.72 (CI 1.34 to 2.24; p<0.001). In 1995 the percentage of highly allergenic (>AU/ml) latex gloves was 28% (20/73 marketed brands). Thereafter, the percentage of these gloves gradually fell to 6% (4/71 brands) in 2001.

This study shows that our national strategy to regularly measure the allergen content of medical latex gloves and provide information from these surveys to the public seems to be an efficient way to reduce presence of high-allergenic glove brands in the market. A parallel and significant decrease in the incidence of latex-allergic HCW suggests that the present strategy also has marked effects on primary prevention of occupational latex allergy.