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Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to get the information about the prevalence of Latex allergies in Japanese nursing students.
Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to discuss to prevent any onset of LA in undergraduate nursing programs.
The purpose of this study is to consider how to prevent LA based on 1) two cases of students with LA we experienced, and 2) the results of a questionnaire that surveyed the actual conditions of Japanese nursing students.
Methods:
Based on two case reports and a structured questionnaire survey. The 24-item questionnaire was distributed to 372 nursing students. Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Ethical Review Committee of Seinan Jo Gakun University.
Results:
We encountered two nursing students who suffered from allergy symptoms when they donned sterile gloves in nursing skill exercises. They both had previous atopic dermatitis. One student suffered acute urticaria in the dorsa of both hands and fingers 15 minutes after donning. The other student experienced chest discomfort and choking two hours after donning in school. One student had a history of allergies to rubber products.
We surveyed to follow high risk students of LA, and 352 nursing students responded (response rate 94.9%). All respondents were female students (age 19.5±1.4 ). The numbers of students experiencing allergic symptoms to rubber products, or with a history of atopic dermatitis were 87/352 (24.8%) and 52/352 (19.8%), respectively.
Conclusion:
These two cases show the need for prevention of reactions to rubber products in undergraduate nursing programs. We report on our trial LA screening methods before teaching of nursing skills.