Introduction

Healthcare workers are at an increased risk of developing a latex allergy. Click to Enlarge

Latex allergy is a reaction to certain proteins found in natural rubber latex; a product made from the rubber tree. If you have a latex allergy, your body mistakes latex for a harmful substance.

Latex allergy may cause itchy skin and hives or even anaphylaxis, a potentially life-threatening condition that can cause throat swelling and severe difficulty breathing. Your doctor can determine if you have a latex allergy or if you're at risk of developing a latex allergy.

Healthcare workers are at an increased risk of developing a latex allergy. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates that 8-12 percent of health care workers are latex sensitive with reactions ranging from irritant contact dermatitis and allergic contact sensitivity, to immediate, possibly life-threatening, sensitivity.

This course takes a closer look at latex allergy, including ways healthcare providers can reduce and/or prevent an allergy.

Modules

Click on the links below to access the module. You can also click on the link at the top of the page.

Please login to your student dashboard to access and download this FREE course PDF studyguide. You can save this study guide to your computer for offline studying, or print the study guide if you prefer.

Course 170 Final Exam

After studying the course material and answering the quiz questions, it is time to take the final exam. We highly recommend answering the module quiz questions to check your understanding of the course material. The final exam questions are typically developed from these quiz questions.

OSHAcademy course final exams are designed to make sure students have gained a sufficient understanding of the content covered within each course. To help demonstrate this understanding, students must achieve a passing score on course final exams. It is OSHAcademy's policy to protect the integrity of our exams: as a result, we do not provide missed questions to students.

This is an open book exam. Students are permitted to use a separate browser window to review course content while taking the exam. If you do not pass a final exam, you will see a "Retake Exam" button next to the course on your student dashboard.

If you have already paid for your certificate

If you have already paid for certificates, your exam score will be displayed on your student dashboard after successfully passing the final exam. If you chose PDF certificates, you can view and print your certificate and personal transcript from your student dashboard. If you chose original printed documents, they will be prepared and mailed to the address in your student account.

If you only want free training

OSHAcademy provides free access to all training materials, including course modules, practice quizzes, exercises, and final exams. However, exam scores, certificates, and transcripts are provided only if you purchase a certificate package to document your training. If you do not require official training documentation, we will archive your exam results should you decide to purchase official certificates later.

Take the Final Exam

Endnotes

• Latex Allergy: A Prevention Guide. April 1, 1998. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/98-113/
• NIOSH Alert: Preventing Allergic Reactions to Natural Rubber Latex in the Workplace. June 1, 1997. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/97-135/pdfs/97-135.pdf?id=10.26616/NIOSHPUB97135
• Mayo Clinic: Latex Allergies: Symptoms & Causes. Retrieved from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/latex-allergy/symptoms-causes/syc-20374287
• "Safety and Health Information Bulletins | Potential for Sensitization and Possible Allergic Reaction To Natural Rubber Latex Gloves and Other Natural Rubber Products | Occupational Safety and Health Administration." 2008. Retrieved from: www.osha.gov/dts/shib/shib012808.html

Additional Resources

• Creating a Latex-Safe Environment, Infection Control Today
• Latex allergies - for hospital patients, Medline Plus
• Latex Allergies, AMN Healthcare, Inc.
• Latex Allergy awareness among hospital workers, Nursing Times