[Solved] Need name of non-alcohol disinfectant prior to IV insertion

Factual Questions
1

A few months ago, my brother drove me to the hospital for what turned out to be severe hypotension. As soon as the intake nurse saw my readings, I was immediately sent to a triage room, where two different nurses tried to insert an IV in both arms, because the pressure in one arm was significantly different from the other. I wrote “tried to insert” because even after multiple attempts, the nurse couldn’t insert the IV in my left arm.

One of the aspects of this that was new to me (I’m not a stranger to ERs) was that the disinfectant they used pre-IV came in something that had a cap on it that needed to be snapped open then the fluid within applied to the skin. I think it also included a small sponge to soak up excess fluid.

After a day or so as an inpatient, with more IV insertions – primarily in my left arm – for which they used the same disinfectant, the insertion point began turning bright red accompanied by increasingly severe pain. The doctors and nurses took photos of the area it was so extremely severe.

Obviously, I am allergic to this stuff with a snap cap. My problem is, I have no idea what it’s called, and I need to add it to my list of allergies for a doctor visit tomorrow.

Does anyone know what it’s called, please? I need to know before tomorrow (Fri, Oct 29).

Thanks!

2

Did it look kinda like this?

If, then ChloraPrep.

3

Bingo! Wow, talk about fast response!

Thanks huge bunches!

4

Could be chlorhexidine, could be one of several topical formulations of iodine, there are lots of possibles.

The only way to be sure is to find out which prep that hospital uses. Your skin’s reaction will be noted in your hospital record, your doc can make a request to have records sent to them.

For the time being, list ‘skin prep’ among your allergies, til you find out your specifics. In the meantime, isopropyl alcohol can be used to cleanse your skin for a blood draw. Presuming of course that you know you tolerate isopropyl alcohol ok. Until you sort it out, warn CAT or MRI techs doing using any contrast studies that you had a possible precursor reaction.

Iodine tends to be a common one, but that usually has a noticeably brown residue and you didn’t mention that.

5

Thanks, Bip! But crowmanyclouds was spot on. I thought it was called Chloro-something, but google kept giving me wrong hits such as things like chloroseptic.

Thanks for your reply anyway

6

We all get to be right. Chloraprep has in it……chlorhexadine and isopropyl alcohol, two of my candidates.

Kind of surprising that hospital was using one for IV prep, they are a little pricey, but my blood bank uses a chlorhexadine prep gizmo for my elbow donation needle site. They always ask if I’m allergic first, so it must not be unusual.