P51 Occupational contact dermatitis among operating room nurses

Abstract

Background: Occupation related dermatitis is a common problem in health care workers, especially in nurses, who are exposed to a wide variety of allergenic and irritant substances. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence rate of skin symptoms among personnel handling chemical disinfectants and to examine which allergens were important.Methods: We investigated 460 randomly selected health care workers (HCW), who had constant contact with chemical disinfectants during their work. The study was performed by means of a questionnaire, a medical examination, skin patch test using Finn chambers and glutaraldehyde, benzalkonium chloride, hydrogen peroxide and chlorine compounds at 0,1, 0,5 and 1,0% wat.Results: 241 HCW (52,5%) described various skin symptoms they attributed to disinfectant exposure. Generally, these symptoms were mild and ranged from pruritis to hand eczema. Of these 66 (14,4%) tested were skin patch test positive. Of the 460 HCW tested, 37 (8%) had positive patch test reactions to benzalkonium chloride, 22 (4,8%) to chlorine compounds, 18 (4%) to glutaraldehyde, 6 (1,2%) to hydrogen peroxide. 5 HCW (7,6%) testing positive to disinfectants gave no history of reactivity to them. History of atopic dermatitis was found in 50 (10,9%) and it was associated with diagnosis of allergic contact dermatitis and positive patch test reactions to benzalkonium chloride. Also positive patch tests reactions were associated with frequent use of latex gloves in contrast to those, which used latex gloves while working constantly or didn’t use them at all.Conclusions: 1. Skin symptoms related to work with chemical disinfectants are common, but mostly mild. 2. Benzalkonium chloride is one of the strongest sensitizing disinfectants used in health care professions, especially for atopic persons who do not take measures of protection during exposure to it.