Relationship between hand hygiene and cutaneous findings during COVID‐19 pandemic. (26th August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Altunisik Toplu, Sibel; Altunisik, Nihal; Turkmen, Dursun; Ersoy, Yasemin
• Is Part Of: Journal of cosmetic dermatology. Volume 19:Number 10(2020)
• Page Start: 2468
• Page End: 2473
• Publication Date: 2020-08-26
• Subjects: COVID‐19 pandemic -- gloves use -- Hand hygiene -- hands -- skin findings; Skin -- Diseases -- Treatment -- Periodicals; Lasers in surgery -- Periodicals; Skin -- Pathophysiology -- Periodicals; Surgery, Plastic -- Periodicals; 616.5
• DOI: 10.1111/jocd.13656
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1473-2130

Abstract

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.