Discharge Instructions - Poison Ivy Dermatitis

As discussed in the Emergency Department prior to discharge, you have been diagnosed with a contact dermatitis from exposure to poison ivy or poison sumac.  Poison ivy is a plant that can cause an itchy, red skin rash.  When people have this rash, they often say, "I got poison ivy."

The same substance that causes the poison ivy rash is also found in poison oak, poison sumac, the ginkgo fruit, and mango peels.

You might have gotten poison ivy if you:

  -Touched a poison ivy plant

  -Touched something that had the plant's oils on it (such as clothing, animal fur, or garden tools)

  -Were nearby when poison ivy plants were being burned

Poison ivy and poison oak have 3 leaves coming off a single stem.  That's why there is a saying, "leaves of 3, let them be."  The leaves start out green, but they can turn red or brown.  Even dead plants can cause the rash.

Your rash should go away within 1 to 3 weeks, but it might form blisters before it does.  Blisters are little bubbles of skin that are filled with fluid.  They can show up in different places at different times.  But that does not mean that the rash is spreading.  Touching the blisters or the fluid inside the blisters will not spread the rash.

You can:

  -Avoid scratching (that makes the itch worse)

  -Try putting a cold, wet cloth or paper towels on your rash

  -Use calamine lotion

  -If your blisters have started to pop, use skin products that have Aluminum Acetate in them (examples include Burrow's solution and Domeboro)

The products listed below sometimes cause a reaction that makes your skin more itchy or irritated:

  -Antihistamine creams or lotions

  -Numbing products that have Benzocaine

  -Antibiotic ointments that have Neomycin or Bacitracin in them

Return to the Emergency Department if you develop a fever (≥38.0 °C or 100.4 °F), your rash worsens, or you develop any other new or concerning symptoms.