Any Nurses Allergic to Iodine?

[missninaRN]

Hello. I am about to begin nursing school (woohoo!) and am wondering if my allergy to iodine will pose any problems?

I would assume that I will be gloved whenever I am using iodine on a patient.

Are there any nurses here who have an iodine allergy? How do you prevent exposure to it in your work?

[mandana]

Congrats on starting nursing school. I'm finishing it up and it's been great.

The only times I've ever used iodine have been when catheterizing someone and not only are you gloved, you use a little pair of tongs to hold the iodine soaked cotton balls. I would guess there are certain areas where there is a little more exposure to iodine than others, but you'll always be gloved when using it and you can probably largely avoid it.

Good luck,

Amanda

[caroladybelle, BSN, RN]

These days, fewer and fewer hospitals are using large amounts of betadine.

The standard of care in most good hospitals is use of chloraprep, due to improved antimicrobial action, and reduced problems w/iodine. Many hospitals are switching to chloraprep.

While there is still a lot of betadine use out there, it is usually in venues, where you would/should be gloved.

[TazziRN, RN]

I do not have an allergy, but it's been my experience that people who are allergic to iodine do not have a problem with a small amount of topical betadine, but rather to injected iodine-based contrast or shellfish. My brother was violently allergic to shellfish but when a nurse forgot and slathered his arm in betadine in prep for an art line, he had no problem with that whatsoever. I could be wrong, it's just what I've seen.

[unikuelady, RN]

I'm very allergic to topical iodine/betadine. When it touches my skin I start to blister almost immediately. I was also very concerned about betadine exposure when I started nursing school. Now that I've been a nurse for 8 years I have not had any problems whatsoever. Any time I needed to use betadine/iodine was also times that gloves were required. you might want to double glove just to be sure and wear long sleved gown if the procedure you are performing might cause the betadine to splash on your skin.

[Ivanna_Nurse, BSN, RN]

I am also allergic. Shellfish, topical and contrast. What the OP said about gloving (or double gloving) should suffice. Good luck in School!

[P_RN, ADN, RN]

I have a Betadine AND Latex sensitivity. Blisters from either or both are no fun believe me. Always tell anyone who may come near you with any Iodine type product about your allergy. Some phlebotomists might automaticaly swipe before you know it.

[mandana]

I do not have an allergy, but it's been my experience that people who are allergic to iodine do not have a problem with a small amount of topical betadine, but rather to injected iodine-based contrast or shellfish. My brother was violently allergic to shellfish but when a nurse forgot and slathered his arm in betadine in prep for an art line, he had no problem with that whatsoever. I could be wrong, it's just what I've seen.

I've spent far more time consulting allergists lately than I'd like to, but one told me that a shellfish allergy, contrary to popular belief, usually does NOT mean an iodine allergy. So I googled it, because all my textbooks have said that it does:

Despite comments sometimes made in the lay media and by some physicians, there is no evidence supporting the contention that shellfish allergy has anything to do with the iodine content of such foods. The major allergens in crustacea such as shrimp are in the tropomyosins, a group of proteins essential in muscle- contraction with no relation to iodine content (see enclosed abstracts).

It's from this site if you're interested: http://www.aaaai.org/aadmc/ate/radiocontrast.html

Amanda

[TazziRN, RN]

I've spent far more time consulting allergists lately than I'd like to, but one told me that a shellfish allergy, contrary to popular belief, usually does NOT mean an iodine allergy. So I googled it, because all my textbooks have said that it does:

Despite comments sometimes made in the lay media and by some physicians, there is no evidence supporting the contention that shellfish allergy has anything to do with the iodine content of such foods. The major allergens in crustacea such as shrimp are in the tropomyosins, a group of proteins essential in muscle- contraction with no relation to iodine content (see enclosed abstracts).

It's from this site if you're interested: http://www.aaaai.org/aadmc/ate/radiocontrast.html

Amanda

That's interesting, since the old belief was that the iodine in shellfish was the allergen.