Latex-Free Tonometer Tip Covers: What Are Options for Patients With an Allergy?
Latex Versus Latex-Free Tonometer Tip Covers
Are there latex-free tonometer tip covers on the market? Unfortunately, there are no latex-free tip covers at this time. All tip cover options for both the Tono-Pen and Accupen on the market contain latex.
For the majority of eye patients, using disposable latex tip covers is a viable option. The covers provide the necessary sanitation standards to keep your patients safe. As long as a patient does not have an allergy to latex, using tip cover supplied from a reliable manufacturer on your tonometer pen remains a solid option to measure eye pressure.
What should you do if a patient is allergic to latex?
For the one to six percent of the population in the U.S.A with a latex allergy, how are you to conduct the necessary exam? Since there are no current possibilities to compare latex versus latex-free tonometer tip covers, professionals do not recommend using a contact method, such as the Tono-Pen. Although tonometer pens themselves are latex-free, you should not use them without a tip cover. And as was mentioned above, tip covers for tonometer pens contain latex.
Choosing to use a tonometer pen without a tip cover should never be a solution to avoid potential latex allergies. Doing so may cause detrimental harm to your patients via eye infections or disease. Covers are a necessary precaution to ensure safety and sanitation.
However, there are other methods for measuring pressure for patients with latex allergies that are both safe and effective to use. Methods such as the use of air-puff tonometry should be the starting point if you know your patient has or may have a reaction to latex.
Additional information on latex-free tonometer tip covers
For additional information on tonometer tip covers, please contact a representative at Automated Ophthalmics. At Automated Ophthalmics, we offer industry-standard supplies, tune-ups, and repair services for tonometer pens.