Assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on latex glove usage and latex allergy complaints among nurses: A descriptive study

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to a significant increase in the use of latex gloves among nurses. However, concerns about the rise in latex allergies and related complaints due to this increase remain uncertain. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the rates of latex glove usage and allergy-related complaints among nurses working in hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Between May 15 and June 15, 2021, ethical approvals were obtained for a cross-sectional study involving 448 volunteer nurses. Descriptive statistics were used to represent categorical values as counts (n) and percentages (%), while continuous values were represented as mean +/- standard deviation. The normal distribution of the data was assessed using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Shapiro-Wilk tests. Comparative analyses were conducted using paired sample t-test, Pearson's chi-squared (x(2)) test, McNemar's chi-squared (x(2)) test, and Spearman correlation analysis. RESULTS: Before the pandemic, the average number of invasive procedures was 45.13 +/- 26.48, whereas during the pandemic, this rate increased to 50.23 +/- 29.14. The average glove usage duration went from 7.69 +/- 3.13 hours to 14.73 +/- 3.68 hours during the pandemic. Among nurses, the rate of allergic symptoms, which was previously at 31.5%, rose to 33.3% during the pandemic. CONCLUSION: This study revealed a significant increase in daily invasive procedures and the use of latex gloves among nurses during the pandemic period. Simultaneously, the frequency of allergic symptoms also rose. These findings underscore the importance of awareness and preventive measures, particularly regarding latex allergies, in the healthcare field.