Near Incision or Elsewhere on the Body
Surgery doesn’t just impact the surgical site.
Research shows that surgery can trigger a chain reaction of events throughout the body.
Some are linked to medications, cleansers, and other substances used during or after surgery.
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Others are related to your body’s internal reaction to the medications and even the surgery itself.
Several studies reference rashes associated with various disinfectants.
These rashes can appear on or near the surgical site.
Reproduced with permission from © DermNet New Zealandwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
One study estimates the overall prevalence of rashes from surgical glue to be around 2.8%.
Reproduced with permission from DermNet New Zealandwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
When Are Post-Op Rash Symptoms Serious?
Skin rashes or hives are one of the more common ways a local or systemic allergic reaction may appear.
However,anaphylacticreactions that impact your breathing are also possible with many of these medications.
These hypersensitivity reactions can begin with a rash and lead to multiorgan failure if left untreated.
They are primarily associated with certain antibiotics.
Most studies that examined the link between surgical glue and rashes or other allergic reactions studied the adhesive Dermabond.
However, other surgical glues have the same active ingredientoctyl-2-cyanoacrylate.
Wound Care With Rash
Anti-itch, antihistamine, and anti-inflammatory medications can help manage rash symptoms.
Some of these medications may also be used to manage systemic reactions after surgery.
Timeline: How Long Does a Rash After Surgery Last?
Most rashes sparked by hypersensitivity or allergic reactions to a medication or irritant clear up in about a week.
A rash that lasts longer may require additional treatment.
If you developedhiveswith your reaction, it may be several weeks before your skin returns to baseline.
Rashes are one of the more common reactions you may notice after surgery.
Before any medical procedure, ensure your list of allergies is up-to-date.
You may also consider allergy or skin patch testing before surgery.
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