Latex: a lingering and lurking safety risk.
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.