Unexplained rash? Check your iPad. It turns out the popular tablet
computer may contain nickel, one of the most common allergy-inducing
metals.
Recent reports in medical journals detail nickel allergies
from a variety of personal electronic devices, including laptops and
mobile phones. But it was an Apple iPad that caused an itchy body rash
in an 11-year-old boy recently treated at a San Diego, California
hospital, according to
a report in American peer-reviewed medical journal
Pediatrics.
Nickel
rashes aren't life-threatening but they can be very uncomfortable, and
they may require treatment with steroids and antibiotics if the skin
eruptions become infected, said Dr Sharon Jacob, a dermatologist at Rady
Children's Hospital, where the boy was treated.
An undated photo provided by the
American Academy of Pediatrics shows a rash on an unidentified 11-year
old boy from a nickel allergy.
The boy had a common skin condition that causes scaly patches,
but he developed a different rash all over his body that didn't respond
to usual treatment. Skin testing showed he had a nickel allergy, and
doctors traced it to an iPad his family had bought in 2010.
Doctors tested the device and detected a chemical compound found in nickel in the iPad's outside coating.
"He used the iPad daily," she said.
He got better after putting it in a protective case, she said.
Whether
all iPad models and other Apple devices contain nickel is uncertain;
Apple spokesman Chris Gaither said the company had no comment.
Nickel rashes also have been traced to other common products including some jewellery, eyeglass frames and zippers.
Jacob
said evidence suggests nickel allergies are becoming more common, or
increasingly recognised. She cited national data showing that about 25
per cent of children who get skin tests for allergies have nickel
allergies, versus about 17 per cent a decade ago.
She said doctors need to consider electronic devices as potential sources when patients seek treatment for skin rashes.
AP
http://www.theage.com.au/technology/technology-news/boy-found-to-be-allergic-to-his-ipad-and-he-isnt-alone-20140714-zt7gi.html