Background Poison ivy (toxicodendron) dermatitis is the most common allergi
c contact dermatitis in the USA. No studies have shown an effect of washing
after a short period of time for the prevention of binding of urushiol to
the skin.
Objective To evaluate the efficacy of three different modes of postcontact
prevention using a surfactant (Dial(R) ultra dishwashing soap), an oil-remo
ving compound (Goop(R)), and chemical inactivation (a commercial product Te
cnu(R)).
Methods A consented, unsponsored, Volunteer experimental study on medical s
tudents from the University of Missouri School of Medicine, Kansas City. Ea
ch subject served as his/her own control, comparing four 2.5-cm exposed squ
ares on the inner aspect of the forearm, three of which were treated and on
e untreated.
Results Comparisons between the different agents were nonsignificant with P
>0.05. Each treatment, however, was significantly improved over the untreat
ed control.
Conclusions Our study showed 70%, 61.8%, and 56.4% protection with Tecnu, G
oop, and Dial, respectively, when compared to the positive control, or to t
he possible maximum response, with a cost per ounce (in a local drug and au
tomotive store) of $1.25, $0.07, and $0.07, respectively, for a decrease in
protection that is nonsignificant.