Health Hazard Evaluation Report: HETA 98-0096-2737, Exempla St. Joseph Hospital, Denver, Colorado, Revised October 2000

摘要

On January 23, 1998, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) received a confidential employee request for a health hazard evaluation (HHE) at Exempla Health Care Facility/St. Joseph's Hospital in Denver, Colorado. The request stated that hospital employees experienced facial flushing, rhinitis, sneezing, itching and watery eyes and fainting while at work. According to the request, the exposure thought to cause the employees' health problems was latex protein from powdered natural rubber latex (NRL) gloves. The NIOSH investigation consisted of concurrent medical and industrial hygiene evaluations during the weeks of July 13-16, 1998, and August 3-6, 1998. Additional medical evaluations were completed November 9-13, 1998. The medical evaluation included a self-adminstered questionnaire and blood tests for total IgE and latex-specific IgE. The industrial hygiene evaluation consisted of air, surface, and bulk dust sampling to evaluate the presence of latex proteins within the hospital environment.