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Allergies

Help with allergy to sterile alcohol pads

02/23/2009

Question:

These sterile pads cannot be used on my skin because within a day or two of where they are used I break out in a itchy rash. Medical professionals always look at me cross-eyed when I tell them this. I forgot before some injections a couple of days ago to refuse the pad until it was too late. Today I`m using cortizone cream to keep the itch down and it`ll likely be 2-3 days until it`s gone.

I know I am allergic to something in the pads but have no idea what (aren`t they supposed to be sterile?) and would like to find out. And, what else should I avoid? It`s possible this is why I`ve had issues with various products on my skin my entire life. I would really like to avoid other trigger products that might be similar to the alcohol pads.

Thanks so much.

Answer:

It is possible that you could have a contact dermatitis. The best way to determine the exact cause of your symptoms is patch testing. This can be done by an allergist or dermatologist.

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Response by:

David Hauswirth, MD David Hauswirth, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Pulmonary, Allergy, Crtitical Care & Sleep
Pediatrics
College of Medicine
The Ohio State University