Latex allergy: who, what, when, where, why, and how.

Patients with an allergy to latex are being encountered more often by healthcare providers than ever before in the past. Latex allergy is also common among healthcare providers. This article will describe who, what, when, where, why and how to deal with these patients and colleagues. Latex allergy can be as minor as a rash on the hands or as life threatening as an anaphylactoid reaction. Healthcare in a latex-free environment is necessary when providing care for these patients. Therefore, it is necessary to remove all latex products from the area where care will be provided. It may also be beneficial to pretreat the patient with steroids and other medications. The best prevention for an allergic reaction to latex is to take a thorough history for every patient before providing care.