Publications, community healthcare forums, and television programs are vital in educating the public about the dangers of latex sensitivity. Informed consumers spur healthcare facilities to develop institutional guidelines and protocols for dealing with latex allergies. If you have a latex sensitivity or allergy, stay alert for hidden sources of latex in your environment. Make sure your healthcare practitioners and facilities have a protocol in place and that they adhere to it. If there is any doubt, ask questions.
Vigilance is also the responsibility of the healthcare institution.
Patients should be interviewed about risk factors before undergoing any treatment. All latex-free procedures are scheduled at the beginning of the day. The night before treatment, we remove or replace all latex gloves and other known latex devices. Normal overnight oxygen circulation clears all contaminants from the air. Any other treatment area that the patient will enter must also be latex-free.