Latex: a lingering and lurking safety risk.

Liberatore K. PA-PSRS Patient Saf Advis. 2018 March;15.

Latex products are widely available in hospitals and represent a persistent threat to patients with latex allergies. Drawing from 616 reported latex-related events, this investigation found that more than half of the incidents were associated with indwelling urinary catheter use. Tracking staff awareness of latex allergies, purchasing latex-safe alternatives, and improving handoff documentation of patient allergies are possible risk reduction strategies. A WebM&M commentary discussed allergy documentation in patient health records.

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