Hand dermatitis among university hospital nursing staff with or without atopic eczema: assessment of risk factors.
BACKGROUND
Nurses are prone to develop hand dermatitis. Although an atopic constitution has been identified as a genetic risk factor, the behavioural risk factors associated with hand dermatitis in wet work conditions have not been fully explored.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to clarify the impact of atopic eczema (fulfilling the diagnostic criteria during the past 1 year) on the occurrence of hand dermatitis and to identify the behavioural risk factors among non-atopic nurses with hand dermatitis.


METHODS
From August 2007 to July 2009, nurses from Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital were recruited. The associations between different risk factors and hand dermatitis were documented. In addition, the behavioural risk factors among non-atopic nurses were evaluated via observational study.


RESULTS
One thousand one hundred and thirty-two nurses participated in the first part of the study, which revealed that individuals with atopic eczema had a 3.76-fold increased risk for hand dermatitis. However, among 248 nurses with hand dermatitis, only 43 had atopic eczema. The observational study performed on 140 non-atopic nurses identified frequency of hand washing as the behavioural risk factor associated with hand dermatitis.


CONCLUSIONS
Although atopic eczema is the major risk factor for hand dermatitis, those with atopic eczema constitute only 17% of nurses with hand dermatitis. Decreasing hand washing frequency is the most effective strategy to reduce the occurrence of hand dermatitis among non-atopic nurses.
Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 807, Taiwan.
Cheng-Che E
CC
Lan
Hung-Pin
HP
Tu
Chien-Hung
CH
Lee
Ching-Shuang
CS
Wu
Ying-Chin
YC
Ko
Hsin-Su
HS
Yu
Yi-Wei
YW
Lu
Wan-Chen
WC
Li
Gwo-Shing
GS
Chen
D000328:Adult; D003876:Dermatitis, Atopic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D009783:Dermatitis, Occupational / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D017575:Gloves, Protective / Q000009:adverse effects; D006229:Hand Dermatoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012309:Risk-Taking