CASCADE OF MANAGEMENT FAILURE IN OCCUPATIONAL LATEX ALLERGY: A CASE STUDY

Abstract

Occupational latex allergy is a common yet frequently neglected issue among healthcare workers. This study aims to highlight the issue of failure to diagnose work-relatedness, which leads to a series of cascading failure and suboptimal management of occupational latex allergy. This is the case whereby a nurse from a tertiary hospital in whom occupational latex allergy were identified, is being suboptimally managed medically and occupationally for many years. A series of cascading failure beginning from failure to recognise the work-relatedness nature of the condition, inevitably leading to failure of notification as occupational disease, hence failure to conduct appropriate investigation and intervention at the workplace, and ultimately failure to build a healthy workplace culture has been identified as important determinants leading to suboptimal management of occupational latex allergy. This report highlights the shortcomings among the patient, the treating physician, as well as the workplace manager with resultant series of cascading failure leading to failure of recognition and suboptimal management of occupational latex allergy.

Keywords: nurse, latex dermatitis, latex allergy, occupational disease, healthcare workers