Latex Allergy Scheduling — ORE Part 1 MCQ

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EasyHuman Disease & Dental ManagementLatex Allergy SchedulingORE Part 1

A patient has a confirmed immediate hypersensitivity to natural-rubber latex and requires routine dental treatment. The practice uses latex-containing items in some clinical sessions. Which appointment arrangement is most appropriate?

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Correct answer: B — Book the first appointment of the day

The correct answer is B. A latex-allergic patient should be booked first, before potential airborne latex allergen has accumulated from earlier clinical activity. Latex proteins can become aerosolised when powdered latex gloves are used; UK dental guidance therefore recommends avoiding powdered gloves and using powder-free, low-protein latex gloves where latex is necessary. First-on-the-list scheduling remains the prudent examination answer when a latex-containing environment is possible, alongside a documented latex-safe plan and non-latex alternatives. Booking last, at lunch, or at weekends does not reduce prior airborne exposure. “Any available appointment” would only be reasonable if a genuinely latex-free environment and protocol had already been established, which is not stated here.

Reference: Scottish NHS Right Decisions / Association of Anaesthetists, Suspected anaphylactic reactions associated with anaesthesia, section on latex allergy, accessed July 2026. https://rightdecisions.scot.nhs.uk/media/1393/anaphylactic-reactions-suspected-associations-with-anaesthesia-2.pdf