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Hand eczema in nurses, nursing auxiliaries and cleaners—A cross‐sectional study from a tertiary hospital in western India
Author(s) -
Gupta Sanjeev B.,
Gupta Aayush,
Shah Bhavika,
Kothari Preeti,
Darall Sweety,
Boghara Dhara,
Sonkar Sukhnandan,
Deo Kirti
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
contact dermatitis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.524
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1600-0536
pISSN - 0105-1873
DOI - 10.1111/cod.13009
Subject(s) - hand eczema , medicine , atopic dermatitis , dermatology life quality index , cross sectional study , quality of life (healthcare) , allergy , eczema area and severity index , contact dermatitis , health care , hand dermatitis , dermatology , nursing , immunology , economics , pathology , psoriasis , economic growth
Background Healthcare workers have a high risk of developing hand eczema. Objectives To determine the prevalence and severity of dermatologist‐determined hand eczema among healthcare workers, carry out patch testing, and correlate the findings with impairment in quality of life (QoL) and demographic and vocational factors. Methods Seven hundred and ten healthcare workers (279 nurses, 246 cleaners, and 185 nursing auxiliaries) were screened for the presence of hand eczema. Severity of eczema was calculated with the Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI), and QoL was measured with the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Individuals with hand eczema were also patch tested. Results The point and 1‐year prevalences of hand eczema were 7.2% and 18.9%, respectively. Hand eczema was significantly associated with atopic dermatitis. The mean HECSI score was 9.39; it was significantly higher in patients with atopic dermatitis and those with recurrent hand eczema. The mean DLQI score was 5.37. Cleaning staff had significantly greater impairment in QoL. HECSI and DLQI scores were positively correlated. Patch testing showed that thiuram mix, antibiotics and cleansers as sensitizers were over‐represented in healthcare workers as compared with controls. Conclusions Hand eczema was particularly common in hospital cleaners and staff with atopic dermatitis. Further studies are needed to address the burden of occupational hand eczema and develop guidelines for its management at a national level.