Contact Dermatitis ================== þ Poison Ivy þ Glove Irritant Dermatitis - people may have a typical irritant dermatitis (not a contact dermatitis) after using latex gloves, - Unlike contact dermatitis, irritant dermatitis is not immune mediated and its presence does not imply that the patient is at risk for allergic complications from latex exposure. [emedicine.com http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic814.htm.] þ Latex Allergy - Allergic reactions to latex typically are either Type I or Type IV hypersensitivity reactions - Patients with certain fruit allergies are more likely to develop a latex allergy: Avocado, banana, chestnut, kiwi, papaya, peach and nectarines. [emedicine.com http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic814.htm.] - Patients with spina bifida and patients with congenital urogenital abnormalities have the highest incidence of latex allergy. These patients have multiple recurrent exposures to latex from urinary, rectal and other procedures. These recurrent exposures are believed to sensitize the patient to latex. [emedicine.com http://www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic814.htm.] - Heavy traffic areas may have relatively large amounts of aerosolized latex from particles coming off the tires of a car. - Patients with spina bifida are at such a high risk of a hypersensitivity reaction to latex that consideration should be given to empirically avoiding latex exposure in this and other high risk patient populations, e.g., rectal exams and Foleys.