The prevalence of latex sensitivity among operating room personnel: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aims: Latex sensitivity has been a concern for health-care workers in recent years. Due to the excessive exposure to latex products in the operating room, the personnel of this department are exposed to high sensitivity to these products. Therefore, the present study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of latex sensitivity among operating room personnel. Materials and Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis conducted based on a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis checklist. The present study researchers explored four international databases, namely Medline/PubMed, ProQuest, Scopus, and Embase in February 2020. The selected keywords for international databases were classified into three categories (a) operating room personnel, (b) latex sensitivity, and (c) prevalence. The collected data were entered into the EndNote X8 software and analytical analysis was performed by STATA statistical software version 12. Results: Seventy-five articles were found by searching for databases. After several screening steps, 12 articles entered the final analysis. The results show that the prevalence of latex sensitivity in total is 14.76 (confidence interval 95%: 9.27–20.25). Meta-regression results showed that the relationship between the years of study and the prevalence of latex sensitivity is not statistically significant (P = 0.222). Conclusion: The results of the present study showed that sensitivity to latex is significantly prevalent among operating room staff. Due to the importance of sterility and sensitive working conditions in the operating room, as well as frequent contact with latex products, it is important to pay attention to the side effects caused by latex powder.