Objectives
Health care workers (HCWs) adopted several protective measures, including hand hygiene and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the frequent use of these preventive measures can lead to skin reactions. Our study aimed to determine the frequency of these reactions in Northern Morocco. In addition, we also looked at the risk factors and the consequences of these injuries on work efficiency and performance.
Materials and Methods
An anonymous online survey was used to collect data, which was sent to 500 health workers in the study region. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data on IBM SPSS software.
Results
In total, 273/500 responded to the questionnaire (55%). For the participants’ profession, 41% were doctors, 32% were nursing staff, and 26% held other jobs. The general prevalence rate of adverse reactions for all health workers was (80%), including skin problems: after wearing goggles (58%), after wearing surgical masks and respirators (57%), after handwashing and wearing gloves (45%), after wearing a face shield (23%), and after wearing protective clothing (11%). Bleach immersion was highly significantly associated with hand reaction (OR: 2.9, 95% CI: 1.77–4.90; P < 0.001). Moreover, we found a statistically significant association between hand cream use more than twice daily and fewer reactions (OR: 1.9, 95% CI: 0.98–3.77; P = 0.038). The skin reactions related to goggles use were also significantly associated with use duration (OR: 1.7, 95% CI: 0.988–3.12; P = 0.05). Similarly, wearing masks and N95 respirators and their related adverse reactions were significantly associated with use duration (OR: 0.5, 95% CI: 0.20–0.7; P = 0.02). In addition, adverse reactions of regular use of protective clothing were related to the frequency of its use per shift (OR: 3.5, 95% CI: 1.47–8.54; P = 0.05).
Conclusions
Our survey-based study showed that the prevalence of these skin reactions in our context should not be neglected. The length of daily wearing time and the frequency of PPE uses were the most implicated factors. More attention must be paid to these reactions for better care of HCWs during these critical times.
It is not recommended to-Wash hands more than 15 times a day.-Apply ABHRs on altered skin; a burning sensation requires stopping or reducing use with adequate management-Wash hands with water after applying ABHRs
We report the case of a twelve-year-old male who presented with isolated anterior cervical hypertrichosis persistent since birth. No notion of trauma or local inflammation or the use of a topical treatment was noted. The patient had no other clinical symptoms and no similar family history. A clinical examination found a tuft of hair, approx. 6 × 3 cm in size, at the level of the mid-neck region, consisting of fine, brown hairs, 3 cm in length (Fig. 1a), with a dermoscopic appearance showing terminal hair and fluffy hair without other associated signs. (Fig. 1b). The rest of the somatic examination was unremarkable. A laser hair removal treatment was offered to the patient with a good response.
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