Allergies to things in the O.R.

[meddog1]

A few years a go while starting an interscalene block, I found myself getting dizzy and SOB. I didn't really know what was up but a nurse caught it - she had me disglove and wash my hands right away. Turns out, I developed a latex allergy. Now days the O.R.s are pretty much latex-free, but damed if the same thing didn't happen with nitrile. I have noticed when coming in contact with the standard blue drapes, I get the same sxs, so I have to handle them with the non-latex/non-nitrile gloves I use that most of the nursing staff uses. This sucks! I can do my work, but the O.R is currently sort of a minefield for me.

Anyone on here dealing with this stuff?

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[AnesthesiaLogs]

that sucks it sounds like you will have to cough up the extra $ to pay for natural lambskin...

just kidding, strange on very, rare seemingly random occasions, the latex gloves sometimes cause a little redness around my hands but it goes away in in about an hour.

have you been skin tested?

 

[meddog1]

....have you been skin tested?

They did a WRAST and it came up equivocal. The sensitivities for the test blows.

 

[militarymd]

Do you have a good own occupation disability policy?

If you do, and it turns out you truly are allergic to the OR environment, then you can become permanently disabled and collect disability until you turn 65.

 

[meddog1]

Do you have a good own occupation disability policy?

If you do, and it turns out you truly are allergic to the OR environment, then you can become permanently disabled and collect disability until you turn 65.

Naw, I'm still a resident and disability would pay very little on a percentage. Also, I want to finnish my training and practice. If I can stick it out, I figure I can go into pain management or something of the like. Tell me if I am wrong, but if I am an attending at that point, and need to do OR procedures, I can have the OR set-up suitable to me for my cases that need to be done in that environment.

 

[VentdependenT]

Get yourself desensitized to latex or whatever the hell else you think is droppen the IgE mediated bomb on ya.

Perhaps you can just go with the pinprick test and screw the blood tests.

 

[meddog1]

Get yourself desensitized to latex or whatever the hell else you think is droppen the IgE mediated bomb on ya.

Perhaps you can just go with the pinprick test and screw the blood tests.

Yah Vent, I was thinking about the desensitization thing. I (seriously) actually even went as far as to cut off a small swatch of OR drape and brought it home to do incremental skin exposures in much the same fashion as they do PO with people who are allergic to ASA or PCN but MUST take the stuff.

As far as the skin-prick test, the allergists say they won't do it with latex because the risk of crashing in the office during that test (for some reason) tends to be higher with latex.

At this point, the tests are only academic; I pretty much can say with a high degree of certainty that I'm a walking antibody

 

[AnesthesiaLogs]

Why don't you just wear those non-latex gloves constantly, and make sure you don't touch the drapes or anything else that bothers you?

 

[VentdependenT]

Why don't you just wear those non-latex gloves constantly, and make sure you don't touch the drapes or anything else that bothers you?

Its just that easy eh?

 

[dr. mccoy]

I am wondering if you had a rash with the nitrile gloves or if the reaction was more SOB and dizziness. Though I could not find any literature on this subject, I have noted that some surgical drapes emit a very strong odor (?antimicrobial covering?). Could you be reacting to the vapor? Do you wheeze as well? Also, do you have these reactions when the patient is covered in a clear plastic drape (e.g. pediatric cases)?

 

[Monty Python]

A few years a go while starting an interscalene block, I found myself getting dizzy and SOB. I didn't really know what was up but a nurse caught it - she had me disglove and wash my hands right away. Turns out, I developed a latex allergy. Now days the O.R.s are pretty much latex-free, but damed if the same thing didn't happen with nitrile. I have noticed when coming in contact with the standard blue drapes, I get the same sxs, so I have to handle them with the non-latex/non-nitrile gloves I use that most of the nursing staff uses. This sucks! I can do my work, but the O.R is currently sort of a minefield for me.

Anyone on here dealing with this stuff?

Does this happen when you're in an OR close to the cidex trays or Steris machine?

 

[meddog1]

I am wondering if you had a rash with the nitrile gloves or if the reaction was more SOB and dizziness. Though I could not find any literature on this subject, I have noted that some surgical drapes emit a very strong odor (?antimicrobial covering?). Could you be reacting to the vapor? Do you wheeze as well? Also, do you have these reactions when the patient is covered in a clear plastic drape (e.g. pediatric cases)?

The blue drapes for sure as well as the soft plastic IV bags. When I get a whiff of these things or make skin contact I get SOB, confused, dizzy, etc.

 

[meddog1]

Does this happen when you're in an OR close to the cidex trays or Steris machine?

Not sure about those particular pieces of equiptment, but normal blankets that are pulled out of the warmer tend to have captured and retained these antigens too.