PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 682 PRINTER'S NO. 2187
No. 43 Session of 1999
INTRODUCED BY MELLOW, HUGHES, BODACK, O'PAKE, TOMLINSON,
TARTAGLIONE, CONTI, KASUNIC, SALVATORE, SCHWARTZ, BELAN,
WAGNER, COSTA, KUKOVICH, GERLACH, MUSTO, BOSCOLA AND
THOMPSON, MARCH 22, 1999
SENATOR MOWERY, PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, AS AMENDED,
OCTOBER 3, 2000
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Urging the Governor to establish a committee to study the <--
2 adverse effects of latex and latex-containing products.
3 ALLERGIC REACTION ASSOCIATED WITH NATURAL RUBBER LATEX AND <--
4 NATURAL RUBBER LATEX PRODUCTS.
5 WHEREAS, In 1997, after receiving over 1,700 reports of latex
6 allergy reactions, including 16 deaths, WHICH WERE ASSOCIATED <--
7 WITH BARIUM ENEMA WHICH HAS SINCE BEEN RECALLED, the United
8 States Food and Drug Administration ordered that any medical
9 device containing NATURAL RUBBER latex carry a warning <--
10 CAUTIONARY LABEL about potential allergic reactions; and <--
11 WHEREAS, AS OF MARCH 1999, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF LATEX ALLERGY <--
12 REACTIONS ASSOCIATED WITH LATEX-CONTAINING MEDICAL GLOVES
13 REPORTED TO THE FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION WAS 2,300,
14 INCLUDING 5 DEATHS; AND
15 WHEREAS, The National Institute of Occupational Safety and
16 Health issued an alert in June 1997 requesting assistance in
17 preventing allergic reactions to natural rubber latex among
1 workers who use gloves and other products containing NATURAL <--
2 RUBBER latex; and
3 WHEREAS, Latex NATURAL RUBBER LATEX gloves have been used as <--
4 a tool in the health care industry by health care workers to
5 prevent the transmission of many infectious diseases AND ARE <--
6 ALSO USED IN OTHER INDUSTRIES, SUCH AS CHILD CARE, FOOD SERVICE
7 AND FOOD PROCESSING; and
8 WHEREAS, Latex NATURAL RUBBER LATEX is used in emergency <--
9 equipment, personal protective equipment, office supplies and
10 hospital and household supplies; and
11 WHEREAS, Latex is also used in other industries, such as <--
12 child care, food service and food processing; and
13 WHEREAS, With its growing use, there is more awareness that
14 NATURAL RUBBER latex and latex-containing products may trigger <--
15 an allergic reaction; and
16 WHEREAS, Allergic reaction to latex comes in three types: <--
17 irritant contact dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis and
18 latex allergy; and
19 WHEREAS, LATEX ALLERGY IS DUE TO NUMEROUS ALLERGENIC PROTEINS <--
20 DERIVED FROM NATURAL RUBBER LATEX; AND
21 WHEREAS, Reactions to NATURAL RUBBER latex may include skin <--
22 rashes, hives, itching, swollen red skin, swollen lips and
23 tongue, shortness of breath, dizziness, fainting, eye or sinus
24 symptoms, asthma and, on rare occasions, shock; and
25 WHEREAS, Children with spina bifida and other conditions
26 involving multiple surgical procedures are at a greater risk to
27 an allergic reaction to NATURAL RUBBER latex due to the need for <--
28 multiple surgeries; and
29 WHEREAS, It is estimated that approximately 22,000 <--
30 Pennsylvanians are currently at risk for developing this allergy
19990S0043R2187 - 2 -
1 RECENT REPORTS IN THE SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE INDICATE THAT ABOUT <--
2 1% TO 6% OF THE GENERAL POPULATION, including 40% to 65% of
3 children with spina bifida AND ABOUT 8% TO 12% OF REGULARLY <--
4 EXPOSED HEALTH CARE WORKERS ARE SENSITIZED TO NATURAL RUBBER
5 LATEX; and
6 WHEREAS, The need to protect the residents of Pennsylvania
7 against NATURAL RUBBER latex allergies is a public health issue <--
8 and should be addressed in order to create a public policy on
9 education and prevention of NATURAL RUBBER latex allergic <--
10 reactions; therefore be it
11 RESOLVED, (the House of Representatives concurring), That the
12 General Assembly urge the Governor, Thomas J. Ridge, to
13 establish a committee to study the adverse effects of latex and <--
14 latex-containing products ALLERGIC REACTION ASSOCIATED WITH <--
15 NATURAL RUBBER LATEX AND NATURAL RUBBER LATEX PRODUCTS and make
16 a report that provides recommendations on the education of the
17 public on NATURAL RUBBER latex allergies and reduction of <--
18 allergy-causing protein, known as antigens; and be it further
19 RESOLVED, That the General Assembly urge the Governor to
20 appoint members of this committee that include the Secretary of
21 Health, THE PHYSICIAN GENERAL, an allergist, a representative <--
22 from occupational health, an epidemiologist, an
23 anesthesiologist, an internist, a surgical specialist, a
24 hospital administrator, a pediatrician, a nurse, a dentist, an <--
25 osteopathic physician, a A PHYSICIAN, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE <--
26 HEALTH INDUSTRY MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION, TWO latex-allergic
27 INDIVIDUALS, ONE OF WHOM IS A health care provider WORKER and a <--
28 representative from the Pennsylvania Emergency Health Services
29 Council; and be it further
30 RESOLVED, That the recommendations from this committee be
19990S0043R2187 - 3 -
1 submitted to the Governor and the General Assembly WITHIN ONE <--
2 YEAR FROM THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION for the purpose of
3 adopting a Statewide policy and program to help educate health
4 care workers and the general public on NATURAL RUBBER latex <--
5 allergies; and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be transmitted to
7 Governor Thomas J. Ridge.
L11L82SFL/19990S0043R2187 - 4 -