Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore has announced that it has banned latex products.

‘Latex hospital gloves were invented here, so it's only fitting that Johns Hopkins takes the initiative to promoting alternatives,’ says anesthesiologist Robert H. Brown, who chairs the hospital's Latex Task Force, according to newsdaily.com.

Studies show that approximately 15 percent of healthcare workers are allergic to latex – because of constant exposure to the allergen.

Latex is used in gloves as well as tourniquets, stethoscope tubes, and other medical devices.

In severe cases, an allergic reaction to latex can lead to anaphylaxis. For more on anaphylaxis, see the Anaphylaxis Solution Guide.