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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you scratch a poison ivy rash, bacteria under your fingernails may cause the skin to become infected. See your doctor if pus starts oozing from the blisters. Treatment generally includes antibiotics.
References
- Auerbach PS. Wilderness Medicine. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa. Elsevier Mosby: 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1678-8..00063-5--s0055&isbn=978-1-4377-1678-8&uniqId=343851441-3#4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-1678-8..00063-5--s0055. Accessed July 3, 2012.
- Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..X0001-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed July 3, 2012.
- Prok L, et al. Poison ivy (Toxicodendron) dermatitis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed July 3, 2012.
- Poisonous plants. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/plants. Accessed July 3, 2012.
- Outsmarting poison ivy and other poisonous plants. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm049342.htm. Accessed July 3, 2012.
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