Nickel allergy: what it is and how it can affect our patient care.

Nickel allergy is the second most common form of allergic contact dermatitis skin allergy, second only to poison ivy. There is no cure for a nickel allergy. The best treatment is to avoid contact with all products known to have nickel content. Because nickel is present in a vast amount of items used every day in the gastroenterology endoscopy setting, it is not possible to have a nickel-free environment. Nurses need to be aware of items in their facility, which could affect the nickel-allergic patient in an adverse way. The focus should be to limit patient exposure as much as possible. This article provides an overview of nickel allergy and areas of risk for patients in the gastroenterology endoscopy setting.