M.R., a 36-year-old certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA), was diagnosed 7 years ago with latex allergy. She first noticed that she developed contact dermatitis when she wore powdered latex gloves. She soon developed tachycardia, hypotension, bronchospasm, urticaria, and rhinitis with contact or proximity to latex in surgery. She had one frightening episode of anaphylaxis. Her allergy is of the type I hypersensitivity, IgE T-cell-mediated latex allergy, which was diagnosed by both a radioallergosorbent test (RAST) and a skin-prick test.

M.R. avoids all contact with any natural rubber latex in her home and at work. She can only work in a pediatric OR because they are latex-free, since many children with congenital disorders are latex allergic. She wears a medical alert bracelet, uses a bronchodilator inhaler at the first symptom of bronchospasm, and carries a syringe of epinephrine at all times.

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