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. 2020 Oct;19(10):2468-2473.
doi: 10.1111/jocd.13656. Epub 2020 Aug 26.

Relationship between hand hygiene and cutaneous findings during COVID-19 pandemic

Sibel Altunisik Toplu  1 , Nihal Altunisik  2 , Dursun Turkmen  2 , Yasemin Ersoy  1
Affiliations

Relationship between hand hygiene and cutaneous findings during COVID-19 pandemic

Sibel Altunisik Toplu et al. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2020 Oct.

Abstract

Background: In the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCWs) have to comply with hygiene conditions and use gloves more frequently and for a longer period of time than they would previously to avoid infection and prevent transmission.

Aims: We aimed to characterize the adverse skin reactions occurring after hand hygiene and glove use in HCWs in a tertiary university hospital to determine the possible causative factors and whether the use of these measures is affected.

Methods: Between April 15 and May 1, 2020, a cross-sectional survey was conducted, using online questionnaire, answered by HCWs in a tertiary university hospital.

Results: The increase in general hand-skin problems during the pandemic period was statistically significant (P = .004). The most common symptom was dryness. During the pandemic period, 67 (24.3%) HCWs thought that the conditions were caused by glove use, and 197 (71.4%) thought that they were due to alcohol-based hand antiseptics. The incidence of other hand-skin conditions except for vesicles was statistically higher in women than in men (P < .001).

Conclusions: Increased number of hand-skin conditions during the pandemic should not be ignored, since hand hygiene and glove use are expected to increase.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; Hand hygiene; gloves use; hands; skin findings.

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