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.
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.