| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2021 | Volume
: 12
| Issue : 1 | Page : 72-77 |
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Clinical pattern and patch test profile of hand eczema in hospital employees in a tertiary care hospital of North India
Sumaya Zeerak1, Iffat Hassan Shah1, Saniya Akhtar2, Yaqzata Bashir1, Manzoor A Bhat1, Shazia Jeelani1, Yasmeen J Bhat1, Shugufta Rather1, Reeta Devi1
1 Department of Dermatology, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Leprosy, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
2 Department of Dermatology, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Leprosy, Government Medical College, Srinagar, India
Correspondence Address:
Iffat Hassan Shah
Department of Dermatology, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Leprosy, Government Medical College, Srinagar - 190 010, Jammu and Kashmir
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/idoj.IDOJ_251_20
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Introduction: Health care workers form an important occupational group with a high risk of hand eczema. All health care professionals are exposed to a variety of allergens and irritants which can cause hand dermatitis, resulting in significant morbidity. Aims and Objectives: To assess the clinical profile of hand eczema in hospital employees, to perform patch test in relevant cases and to find out the most common sensitizers in them. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study in which the staff was screened for features of hand eczema and patch testing was done in the suspected cases of allergic contact dermatitis. Results: Out of 340 employees screened, 46 employees (13.5%) suffered from hand eczema. The most common type was wear and tear dermatitis accounting for 17 (36.9%) cases, followed by discoid eczema, pompholyx, focal palmar peeling, finger-tip eczema, hyperkeratotic eczema, ring eczema, and unspecified types. Patch testing was positive in 15 (32.6%) cases. The most common allergen was paraphenylene diamine, followed by fragrance mix, nitrofurazone, mercaptobenzothiazole, potassium bichromate, black rubber mix, and thiuram mix. A statistically significant association (0.001) was found with an underlying history of atopy. Conclusion: Hand eczema is a commonly encountered dermatological complaint in many hospital employees. Proper counseling, work, up, patch testing, and treatment can mitigate the symptoms in such employees.
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