Poison Ivy, Oak, and Sumac Fact Sheet - AmTrust North America

Poison Ivy, Oak,and Sumac Fact SheetHS04-0641(11-04)Employers and employees should take precautionswhen working in and around wooded areas and in heavyfoliage, because they may come in contact with poisonivy, oak or sumac. Approximately 90 percent of Americansare allergic to these plants that cause a bothersomerash and intense itching.Touching the stems, roots, or leaves of these plantsresults in direct contact ofskin with urushiol (pronouncedoo-roo-shee-ohl)oil, which causes the itching.The cause of the rash,blisters, and infamous itchis from the exposure tourushiol, a chemical in thesap of poison ivy, oak andsumac plants. Because urushiolis inside the plant, brushing against an intact plantwill not cause a reaction. But undamaged plants are rare.Urushiol can stick to tools, shoes, clothes, or anything.Just touching them could cause a reaction in a susceptibleperson.Sensitivity to urushiol can develop at any time. Almostall parts of the body are vulnerable to the sticky urushiol.Urushiol must penetrate the skin to cause a reaction.Places where the skin is thick, such as the soles of the feetand the palms of the hands, are less sensitive to the sapthan areas where the skin is thinner.Urushiol Oil is PotentUrushiol oil is potent and it only takes a small amountto cause an allergic reaction.• Only 1 nanogram (billionth of agram) is needed to cause a rash.• The average person is exposed to100 nanograms per exposure.• 1/4 ounce of urushiol is all thatis needed to cause a rash in everyperson on earth.Poison Ivy• 500 people could itch from theamount covering the head of a pin.• Specimens of urushiol severalcenturies old have been found tocause dermatitis in sensitive people.• 1 to 5 years is normal for urushioloil to stay active on any surfaceincluding dead plants.• The name urushiol is derived fromurushi, Japanese name for lacquer.MythPoison Ivy rash iscontagious.You can catchpoison ivy simplyby being near theplants.Leaves of three,let them be.Do not worryabout dead plants.Breaking theblisters releasesurushiol oil thatcan spread.I’ve been inpoison ivy manytimes and neverbroken out. I’mimmune.FactRubbing the rash won’t spreadpoison ivy to other parts of yourbody (or to another person). Youspread the rash only if urushioloil - the sticky, resin likesubstance that causes the rash -has been left on your hands.Direct contact with the plantsis needed to release urushioloil. Stay away from forest fires,direct burning, and lawnmowersand trimmers when they arebeing used because they cancause the urushiol oil to becomeairborne.Poison sumac has 7 to 13 leaveson a branch, although poisonivy and oak have 3 leaves percluster.Urushiol oil stays active on anysurface, including dead plants,for up to 5 years.Not true. However wounds canbecome infected and make thescarring worse. In very extremecases, excessive fluid may needto be withdrawn by a doctor.Not necessarily true. The moretimes a person is exposed tourushiol, the more likely theywill break out with an allergicreaction. For the first timesufferer, it generally takeslonger for the rash to show up -generally in 7 to 10 days.

Quick Action NeededBecause urushiol can penetrate the skin within minutes,do not waste time if exposed. The faster the victim’sskin is cleansed, the greater the chance of removing theurushiol before it gets attached to the skin. Cleansing maynot stop the initial outbreak of the rash if more than 10minutes has passed, but it can help prevent further spread.If exposed to poison ivy, oak or sumac, if possible, stayindoors until the following steps are completed:1. Cleanse exposed skin with generousamounts of isopropyl (rubbing)alcohol. (Don’t return to the woodsor yard the same day. Alcoholremoves your skin’s protectionalong with the urushiol and any newcontact will cause the urushiol topenetrate twice as fast.)2. Wash exposed skin with water.(Water temperature does not matter;if you’re outside, its likely only coldwater will be available.)3. Take a shower with soap and warmwater. Do not use soap before thispoint because soap tends to pickup some of the urushiol from thesurface of the skin and move itaround.4. Clothes, shoes, tools, and anythingelse that may have been in contactwith the urushiol should be wipedoff with alcohol and water.Wear gloves or cover hands while completing the stepsand then discard the hand covering.Dealing with the RashIf the victim doesn’t cleanse quickly enough, or theskin is so sensitive that cleansing didn’t help, rednessand swelling may appear in about 12 to 48 hours. Blistersand itching will follow. For those rare people who reactafter their very first exposure, the rash appears after 7 to10 days. Because they don’t contain urushiol, the oozingblisters are not contagious nor can the fluid cause furtherspread on the affected person’s body. Nevertheless,scratching the blisters with the fingernails that may carrygerms could cause an infection.The rash will only occur where urushiol has touchedthe skin; it doesn’t spread throughout the body. However,the rash may seem to spread if it appears over time insteadof all at once. This is either because the urushiol is absorbedat different rates in different parts of the body orbecause of repeated exposure to contaminated objects orurushiol trapped under the fingernails.The rash, blisters anditch normally disappearin 14 to 20 days withoutany treatment. But few canhandle the itch withoutsome relief. For mild cases,wet compresses, or soakingin cool water may be effective.Oral antihistaminescan also relieve itching.The U.S. Food and DrugAdministration (FDA) alsoconsiders over-the-countertopical corticosteroids(commonly called hydrocortisones) are normally safe andeffective for temporary relief of itching associated withpoison ivy.For severe cases, prescription topical corticosteroiddrugs can halt the reaction, but only if treatment beginswithin a few hours of exposure. The American Academyof Dermatology recommends that people who have hadsevere reactions in the past should contact a dermatologistas soon as possible after a new exposure.There are a number of over the counter products tohelp dry up oozing blisters, including:• aluminum acetate (Burrows solution);• baking soda;• Aveeno (oatmeal bath);• aluminum hydroxide gel;• calamine;• kaolin;• zinc acetate;• zinc carbonate; andPoison Oak• zinc oxide.Desensitization, vaccines, and barrier creams havebeen studied over the last several decades for their potentialto protect against poison ivy reactions, but none havebeen approved by the FDA for this purpose.For the Rash:Hydrocortisone creams or sprays reduce the inflammation,swelling, and itching of poison ivy rashes. Theyshould be used four times a day for best effect. Lotions

containing calamine, zinc acetate, and alcohol dry theblistered rash quickly and can speed healing.A rash can last 1-4 weeks. Treatment is directed at theintense itching, and shrinking the rash. Treating the itchingis especially important, since scratching can lead toskin infection.Antihistamines are available as topical (cream, lotion,or spray) or oral. The oral forms are probably more effective,but can cause drowsiness. Topical antihistamines areless effective and can cause a rash of their own in somepeople.Drying agents like calamine or other lotions are verysoothing and speed healing of the rash. Menthol, benzocaine,and pramoxine are topical anesthetics to “numb”the itchy rash. They work well, but they must be appliedoften. Cool soaks in baking soda, commercial oatmeal, orcolloidal baths for 15-30 minutes can relieve itching forseveral hours at a time.Signs of an EmergencyAbout 15 percent of the 120 million Americans whoare allergic to poison ivy, oak, and sumac are so highlysensitive to the plants that they break out in a rash andbegin to swell in 4 to 12 hours instead of the normal 24 to48. Their eyes may swell shut and blisters may erupt ontheir skin. This is an emergency. Call EMS or 911 andget them to a hospital as soon as possible.Controlling Poison Ivy,Oak and SumacPoison ivy, oak, and sumac control, can be done at anytime of the year, but is best achieved May through Julywhile the plants are flowering. Poison ivy, oak, and sumacshould be accurately identified before attempting any controlmeasures. Spraying is recommended over burning becausepoison ivy oil vaporizes when hot, carries in smokeand can cause an allergic reaction and a severe rash.Poison ivy, oak, and sumacfoliage within reach canbe sprayed with glyphosate(sold under the trade namesRoundup, Kleenup and others)according to label directions.When using this or any herbicide,always read and followlabel directions carefully. Takecare to avoid other plants anddo not spray so heavily that theherbicide drips off the leaves.Glyphosate is a nonselective Poison Sumacherbicide and will kill any vegetationit contacts.To kill poison ivy, oak, and sumac that climb high intotrees, cut the vine off 6 inches above ground level. Treatthe stump with glyphosate (according to label directions)immediately after cutting to kill the roots and preventsprouting. If resprouting does occur, treat the leaves withglyphosate.Poison ivy, oak, and sumac can be very persistent, sovines may have to be sprayed two or more times for completecontrol. Poison ivy, oak, and sumac can spread alongfence or hedge rows and under trees by birds dispersingthe seeds. Treating young seedlings with glyphosate willkill them and limit the spread of the plant(s).It is recommended that when working in wooden areasand in heavy foliage, that workers wear long pants, longsleeves, boots, and plastic under cotton gloves for protection.Remember to practice safety, don’t learn it by accident.This fact sheet was published with information fromthe U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Poison IvyInformation Center, the Missouri Department of Conservationand the Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission.Texas Workers’ Compensation CommissionE-mail resource.center@twcc.state.tx.usor call (512) 804-4620 for more information.Safety Violations Hotline1-800-452-9595safetyhotline@twcc.state.tx.us