e. Wash all exposed skin areas with a strong soap solution or with alcohol if you
suspect that you may have been exposed to poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac.
f. Wash clothing or equipment with hot water and soap if you think the clothing
or equipment may have been contaminated with urushiol.
g. When the tactical situation dictates, burn the poisonous plants.
(1) When burning, make sure the fire is on the downwind side of the bivouac
or troop area in order to avoid contaminating the area with droplets of urushiol carried
by the smoke.
(2) Ensure that troops are upwind from the burning. Inhaling smoke from
burning poison ivy, poison oak, and/or poison sumac can cause several adverse
reactions such as head-to-toe contact dermatitis, fever, irritation of the nose and throat,
internal swelling in the lungs, difficulty in breathing, pneumonia, malaise, and even
death.
3-4.
IDENTIFY SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF PLANT CONTACT DERMATITIS
Since poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac all contain urushiol, contact with
any of these plants produces the following signs and symptoms:
a. Red, swollen skin.
b. Headache.
c. Fever.
d. Burning sensation and itching on contaminated skin.
e. Skin eruptions (rash) that occur from within a few hours to 48 hours after
contact.
f. Blisters. (This stage follows the rash.)
g. Sores. (When the blisters break 2 to 4 days after they form, a raw surface is
left. These sores soon become encrusted and usually heal within 2 weeks.)
h. Secondary infection. (Secondary infection may occur when the blisters break.
It may appear to be a skin disease or eczema.)
MD0548
3-5