NEWS
10/26/1992

<TITLE>LATEX ALLERGIES FOCUS OF GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE</TITLE>
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NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS                                 Sharon Snider
Oct. 26, 1992                                         (301) 443-3285

               LATEX ALLERGIES FOCUS OF GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE
    Federal government scientists, medical professionals and industry         
representatives will meet Nov. 5-7 in Baltimore, Md., to discuss allergic     
reactions to latex medical devices.
    "International Latex Conference:  Sensitivity to Latex in Medical         
Devices," sponsored by the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for      
Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health, will take place at     
the Hyatt Regency Baltimore at the Inner Harbor.
    Reports of allergic reactions to latex devices such as surgical gloves    
and catheters have increased in recent years.  These reactions occur in       
latex-sensitive people and appear to result from numerous exposures to latex  
proteins that are natural elements of the rubber.  The reactions range from   
minor skin irritation to anaphylactic shock that can lead to death.
    In March 1991, FDA issued a Medical Alert to health care professionals    
warning them of the possibility of such reactions and advising them to use    
non-latex materials in patients who are sensitive to latex.
    The conference will seek to determine which proteins cause the            
reactions, identify people who are likely to be sensitive to latex and find   
ways to prevent allergic reactions.
    For conference registration information, contact Crosspaths Management    
Systems Inc., Two Wisconsin Circle, Suite #660, Chevy Chase, Md. 20815,       
telephone 1-800-527-2847.
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