Hands breaking out

4_Sq · May 14, 2011

The waterless scrub that I use is Manorapid..

Hope this helps.

SmileyfaceRN::smiley_aa

mercys · May 14, 2011

Thanks,the situation has been resolved. A allergy to the non latex gloves. A switch to different gloves and a glove liner has taken care of the problem

ORnurse77433 · Jun 2, 2011

I had something similar when using Avagard. It was a lot better when washing immediately following and drying completely.

orthonurse8 · Apr 13, 2012

Your story sounds very similar to mine. I have been a OR nurse for about 2 years now and the last 6 months I have been scrubbing. This last month I have developed contact dermatitis (what they are saying for now). I used the steroid cream, the am currently finishing oral steroids and my rash is starting to come back, but less severe. I was wondering if you would want to help me determine what is making irritating my skin. I have stopped using a latex glove on top of my non latex glove, use to use avagaurd, purell. I have recently been allergy tested and haven't got the results back yet. Did you do any special allergy test besides latex? Monday I scrubbed and my hands had no reaction. Thursday I scrubbed and by today I have a very small rash again. I worked with the same surgeon and similar cases. I can't quite figure out what is my body allergic to. Have non-latex gloves. Monday However, I did take a stronger dose of steroids and yesterday had a lower dose of prednisone. The only things I can think of that is causing my allergy is my gown, latex free soap foam scrub brush. I'm sorry to have run on story, I am just a new nurse and love what I do and don't want to have to stop what I'm doing. Please help.

My sympathy goes out to your surgeon... having gone that route in my early years, here is my story.
"Contact dermatitis to due latex sensitivity"
Remedy..
1) At Home: wash hands with dove soap only, be mindful of any latex objects you may touch, eg: rubber gloves, garden hose, tooth brush insert etc. Avoid all latex cross sensitivity foods eg: bananas etc. Do Not Wash Dishes!! If you must, use only ivory dish liquid.
2) Wear Duraprene surgical sterile gloves at work.. Only use latex over top if double gloving. Cardinal Health Supplies the duraprene gloves that I wear.
3) My contact dermatitis was being caused by the latex accelerator (thiram) this is is the element that is used in latex to set the form (shape) of the glove... (A dermatologist helped me figure this one out) I believe that some garden seeds even have a coating of this preservative on them to help them from rotting before planting. Radish seed is an example I found.
4) Unfortunately I had to take one course of corticosteroid treatment to "break" the Allergic cycle I was experiencing.
5) Believe it or not the hand pre-surgical scrub that I can use is the alcohol one, that has the soap pre wash that you do 1st thing in the AM then use the alcohol hand scrub for each subsequent scrub. You do not use a brush in this technique, and it is an approved scrub in our health region, and through out Canada.
My sensitivity began when one of the glove companies went to a more pure form of latex in our gloves. Apparently, this had made them less costly to manufacture.
It took me some years before this combination worked for me and I am happy to say that for 10+ years I have had "perfect hands"
You would never know I had a problem. (I actually had to do a different job for a while until I got this all figured out)
Good luck to any of you that has this problem, and to any of you, if you notice blistering, itching, reddening, following a surgical scrub, take preventative action right away!!!

ChristineAdrianaRN, BSN, RN · Apr 14, 2012

It took me two months to figure out I was allergic to the non-latex gloves (especially because it was a developed allergy - I had made no changes so I couldn't figure it out!). It just wasn't on my radar because it's usually the latex gloves or the scrub solution. Glad you figured it out.