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Background: Comfort gloves are used in the management of hand dermatoses., Objectives: To compare the acceptance and tolerability of comfort gloves made of different materials in patients with hand dermatoses and their effects on skin lesions., Methods: In a prospective multicenter study, 284 patients with hand dermatoses were invited to wear either a cotton glove (COT) or a semipermeable Sympatex glove underneath a cotton glove (SYM/COT) for two subsequent phases of 19 consecutive nights each. A total of 88 controls were asked not to wear any comfort gloves overnight. The severity of skin lesions over time was examined. Questionnaires were used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and acceptance and tolerability of the gloves., Results: The hand dermatoses improved in all groups. No substantial intergroup differences regarding severity and HRQoL were observed. SYM/COT received better ratings regarding climate conditions and tactility while COT showed superiority in fit, wearing comfort, and practicality., Conclusions: We confirmed that SYM/COT and COT are well tolerated and accepted suggesting that SYM/COT is a good alternative for COT as comfort gloves in patients with hand dermatoses. Individual requirements, needs, and preferences may direct the material choice., (© 2024 The Author(s). Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Introduction: Working with cleaning products is associated with occupational contact dermatitis in health workers (HWs), but information on predictors for these outcomes is limited., Objectives: This study investigated the prevalence of work-related skin symptoms (WRSS) and associated factors in HWs exposed to cleaning agents in two Southern African tertiary hospitals., Methods: A cross-sectional study of 697 HWs used an interviewer-administered questionnaire and assessed for atopy using Phadiatop., Results: HWs' median age was 42 years, 77.0% were female and 42.5% were atopic. The prevalence of WRSS in the last 12 months was 14.8%, 12.3% had probable contact dermatitis (PCD) and 3.2% had probable contact urticaria (PCU). Technicians (OR adj 3.91) and tasks involving cleaning and disinfection of skin wounds (OR adj 1.98) were associated with WRSS in the past year. Factors associated with PCD included sterilizing instruments, disinfecting skin before procedures and use of wound adhesives. Factors associated with PCU included specimen preparation using formalin, medical instrument sterilization tasks, and skin/wound cleaning and disinfection. Appropriate glove use when performing patients' skin/wound care was protective against WRSS., Conclusions: Tasks involving cleaning and disinfecting patients' skin and wounds were associated with WRSS in HWs, especially when performed without gloves., (© 2023 The Authors. Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Massage therapists are particularly exposed to constituents of massage preparations, wet work and mechanical strain and therefore, at high risk to develop occupational dermatitis (OD)., Objectives: To describe the sensitization spectrum of massage therapists with OD., Patients and Methods: In a retrospective study, patch test data of patients with OD (128 massage therapists and 24 374 patients working in other professions) collected by the Network of Departments of Dermatology (IVDK, 2008-2020) were analysed., Results: Hand dermatitis (91.4%) and allergic contact dermatitis (34.4%) were common in massage therapists with OD. Most frequent were sensitizations to fragrances/essential oils which were found in 54 (42.2%) massage therapists and thus, more often than in other patients with OD. Concomitant positivity to several fragrances/essential oils was frequent. In 8 (14.8%) of the 54 massage therapists, sensitizations to fragrances/essential oils were not detected with the baseline series, but only with special fragrance series., Conclusions: Allergic contact dermatitis is common in massage therapists with OD and is mainly caused by fragrances and essential oils. Hence, massage therapists should be aware of this risk. When OD is suspected, not only the baseline series, but also special fragrance series should be patch tested in this occupational group., (© 2022 The Authors. Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Semipermeable gloves might be an alternative to cotton gloves in management of hand dermatoses., Objectives: To compare acceptance and tolerability of gloves made of cotton or a semipermeable Sympatex membrane in patients with hand dermatoses and their effect on skin lesions when worn overnight., Methods: A total of 199 patients with work-related symmetrical hand dermatoses were asked to wear a cotton glove (COT) on one hand and a Sympatex glove underneath a cotton glove (SYM/COT) on the other hand for 19 consecutive nights. The severity of skin lesions was regularly examined. A questionnaire on acceptance and tolerability was used in a subset of 126 patients., Results: Data on skin lesions were available for 183 participating patients (92%). The severity did not differ substantially between hands covered with SYM/COT or COT over time. Questionnaire data were available for 120 patients (95%). SYM/COT received better ratings regarding climate conditions while COT showed superiority in wearing comfort, practicality and appearance., Conclusions: Both SYM/COT and COT were well tolerated and accepted in patients with hand dermatoses. Hence, SYM/COT may serve as suitable alternative for COT as comfort gloves supporting therapeutic efforts. The observed slight differences may influence the decision when selecting the glove type., (© 2022 The Authors. Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Patients taking part in a tertiary individual prevention program (TIP) for work-related skin diseases frequently have chronic hand eczema (HE) for which alitretinoin is a treatment option., Objective: To investigate treatment with alitretinoin before and during the TIP and related factors., Methods: Data of 1614 patients taking part in the TIP between January 2015 and December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively., Results: Three hundred forty-eight patients (21.6%) reported treatment with alitretinoin prior to the TIP showing an increase over time, particularly in men. In 45 patients (2.8%), alitretinoin treatment was initiated during the TIP. Treatment with alitretinoin was significantly less common among female than male patients, both prior to (P < .001) and during the TIP (P = .015). Female patients who had received alitretinoin in the past were significantly older than the other female patients (P < .001). Among patients treated with alitretinoin prior to the TIP, women had a significantly higher disease severity at admission than men (P = .007)., Conclusions: About twenty percent of patients reported treatment with alitretinoin prior to the TIP. The data indicate that treatment of female TIP patients with alitretinoin is less frequent than among male patients and depends on age and disease severity., (© 2021 The Authors. Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: In Germany, a multistep approach has been established to prevent work-related skin diseases (WRSDs)., Objectives: To evaluate the effect of a secondary individual prevention program (SIP) in metalworkers with WRSD and to compare their characteristics with those of participants of a tertiary individual prevention program (TIP)., Patients and Methods: In a prospective cohort study, metalworkers with WRSD of the hands participating either in the SIP (n = 114) or in the TIP (n = 83) were recruited. At baseline and at the respective follow-up 8-12 weeks after the SIP or at dismissal from the TIP (3-4 weeks later), questionnaires were completed and the severity of WRSD was assessed. Saliva samples were collected for assessment of filaggrin (FLG) mutations and an explorative genome-wide association study (GWAS)., Results: Ninety-three SIP patients (81.6%) attended the follow-up. Disease severity was significantly reduced, and knowledge and protective behavior were significantly improved compared to baseline. Significant differences between SIP and TIP patients were found regarding duration and severity of symptoms, work absenteeism, tobacco smoking, and presence of atopic dermatitis, but not regarding FLG mutations and by GWAS., Conclusions: The SIP was effective in metalworkers with WRSDs. Individual factors may influence the course of the disease and the need for the TIP., (© 2020 The Authors. Contact Dermatitis published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is one of the most common occupational skin diseases (OSDs). Its prevalence and the causative allergens differ between occupations., Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of ACD and the pattern of patch test results of patients taking part in a tertiary individual prevention programme (TIP) for OSD in Germany., Patients and Methods: In a retrospective cohort study, the data of 3411 TIP patients patch tested between 2007 and 2016 were analysed., Results: In 2687 (78.8%) patients, work-related skin disease was diagnosed, mostly hand dermatitis. The highest proportion of face dermatitis was seen in painters (8.1%). ACD was most common in painters (56.8%), hairdressers (45.8%), construction workers (31.5%), gardeners/florists (26.7%), and metalworkers (26.5%). On average, hairdressers had the youngest age (31.4 ± 12.6 years, P < 0.0001) and the shortest time in the profession prior to the TIP (mean 13.7 years). The pattern of patch test reactivity showed occupation-specific differences related to work exposures., Conclusions: Identification of occupational groups at risk for ACD and relevant allergens may help in the development and implementation of targeted prevention strategies. Our data suggest that there should be a particular focus on hairdressers and painters., (© 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: It has been suggested that lifestyle factors such as smoking, overweight and stress may influence the prevalence and severity of hand eczema., Objectives: To investigate the association between lifestyle factors and hand eczema severity in a cohort of patients with work-related hand eczema., Methods: Individuals with work-related hand eczema notified in the period between June 2012 and November 2013 were included in this questionnaire-based cross-sectional study. Participants responded to a questionnaire including questions on lifestyle factors, as well as a photographic guide for assessment of severity of hand eczema and questions on quality of life., Results: A total of 773 individuals (546 women and 227 men) responded to the questionnaire and were included in the study. A strong association was found between tobacco smoking and hand eczema severity (p = 0.003), whereas no significant association was found for body weight and stress. Other factors linked to severe eczema were male sex and older age (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01, respectively), and wet work (p = 0.08)., Conclusion: The data from the present study strongly support an association between smoking and hand eczema severity. However, owing to the cross-sectional design of the study, no conclusion on causation can be drawn., (© 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)