Skin-related problems associated with the use of personal protective equipment among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A online survey study

Kısacık, Öznur Gürlek; Özyürek, Pakize

doi:10.1016/j.jtv.2022.01.003

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…In this study, the area that was reported to be most frequently affected by skin complications related to face mask use was the nasal bridge (78.1%). This is supported by prior studies in the literature, including those of Daye et al (40.7 %) [9], Alizadeh et al (82.7 %) [11] and Gürlek and Özyürek (69.9%) [12]. The area with the second highest prevalence was the skin behind the ear (76.0%), which was also reported by Daye et al (28.4%) [9] and Gürlek and Özyürek (69.8%) [12].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Prevalence of face mask related complications among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

Binkhamis,

Alqarni,

Alasheikh

et al. 2024

J Infect Dev Ctries

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Introduction: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, most healthcare workers (HCWs) were required to wear face masks for long periods of time. Since then, it has been shown that face masks have the potential to cause several physical adverse effects. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of face mask-related complications among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, we compared the relationship between face mask usage with other variables, including the type of mask used and gender. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted using convenience sampling, with a targeted sample of 517 participants (35% nonresponse). Data was collected via an electronic survey, the link for which was distributed through social media sites, such as WhatsApp and Twitter, to reach HCWs across Saudi Arabia. Data was analyzed using the SPSS software. Results: Overall, 438 HCWs who wore N95 or surgical masks for 4 hours or more per day on average were recruited. Skin-related complications in the nasal area had the highest prevalence (342, 78.1%), followed by behind the ear area (333, 76.0%), cheeks (307, 70.1%), and chin (248, 56.6%). Other complications included headaches (226, 51.6%), and eye-related complications (211, 48.2%). All face mask-related complications, except for behind the ear skin complications, were more associated with female gender. Conclusions: Mask usage was significantly associated with the development of headaches, and eye, and skin-related complications. Female HCWs were more predisposed to these complications. Preventative measures and awareness activities should be considered to help reduce mask use related complications.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Prevalence of face mask related complications among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

Binkhamis,

Alqarni,

Alasheikh

et al. 2024

J Infect Dev Ctries

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“…After these exclusions, 37 published studies were included in the meta‐analysis. 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…After assessing full‐length articles, 20 studies were excluded for the following reasons: did not provide usable statistics 8–10 ( n = 3), characterized the dermatoses poorly or did not specify the location of dermatoses 11–24 ( n = 14), only included patients presenting to dermatological clinic already with mask‐related dermatoses 25 ( n = 1), all patients had pre‐existing facial dermatoses 26,27 ( n = 2). After these exclusions, 37 published studies were included in the meta‐analysis 28–64 …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facial dermatoses induced by face masks: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies

Justin

Yew

2022

Contact Dermatitis

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The use of masks for infection control was common in the COVID‐19 pandemic. As numerous cross‐sectional studies have suggested a link between the use of such masks and various facial dermatoses, a systematic review and meta‐analysis of published studies was conducted to evaluate this association, as well as potential risk factors for the development of such facial dermatoses. Observational studies were searched for in MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Central Register. Thirty‐seven observational studies with a total of 29 557 study participants were identified. This study was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 checklist and quality was assessed via the Newcastle‐Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale., Overall prevalence of facial dermatoses was 55%. Individually, acne, facial dermatitis, itch and pressure injuries were consistently reported as facial dermatoses, with a pooled prevalence of 31%, 24%, 30% and 31%, respectively. Duration of mask‐wear was the most significant risk factor for the development of facial dermatoses (95% CI: 1.31–1.54, p < 0.001). Overall, facial dermatoses associated with mask wear are common, and consist of distinct entities. They are related to duration of use. Appropriate and tailored treatment is important to improve the outcomes for these affected patients.

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“…Some of the impacts highlighted by previous studies include increased workload, added work stress and the heightened risk of exposure to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus ( 2 – 4 ). Skin-related problems (e.g., dryness, rash, and dermatitis) due to the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) are also common ( 7 ). However, it is concerning that in a study conducted in a tertiary care hospital in India, the risk of SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG seropositivity among housekeeping staff was found to be four times higher than doctors and nurses ( 8 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experiences of environmental services workers in a tertiary hospital in Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

Koh

Xin

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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BackgroundThe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a significant impact on all walks of life, in particular, environmental services workers in healthcare settings had higher workload, increased stress and greater susceptibility to COVID-19 infections during the pandemic. Despite extensive literature describing the impact of the pandemic on healthcare workers such as doctors and nurses, studies on the lived experiences of environmental services workers in healthcare settings are sparse and none has been conducted in the Asian context. This qualitative study thus aimed to examine the experiences of those who worked for a year of the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA purposive sample of environmental services workers was recruited from a major tertiary hospital in Singapore. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in-person, lasting around 30min, and included open-ended questions pertaining to five main domains: work experiences during COVID-19, training and education needs, resource and supplies availability, communication with management and other healthcare staff, and perceived stressors and support. These domains were identified based on team discussions and literature review. The interviews were recorded and transcribed for thematic analysis, as guided by Braun and Clarke.ResultsA total of 12 environmental services workers were interviewed. After the first seven interviews, no new themes emerged but an additional five interviews were done to ensure data saturation. The analysis yielded three main themes and nine subthemes, including (1) practical and health concerns, (2) coping and resilience, and (3) occupational adaptations during the pandemic. Many expressed confidence in the preventive efficacy of proper PPE, infection control practice and COVID-19 vaccination in protecting them against COVID-19 and severe illness. Having prior experience with infectious disease outbreaks and previous training in infection control and prevention appeared to be useful as well for these workers. Despite the various challenges presented by the pandemic, they could still find meaning in their everyday work by positively impacting the wellbeing of patients and other healthcare workers in the hospital.ConclusionBesides uncovering the concerns shared by these workers, we identified helpful coping strategies, resilience factors and certain occupational adaptations, which have implications for future pandemic planning and readiness.

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Skin-related problems associated with the use of personal protective equipment among health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A online survey study

Cited by 7 publications

References 38 publications

Prevalence of face mask related complications among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

Prevalence of face mask related complications among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia

Facial dermatoses induced by face masks: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies

Experiences of environmental services workers in a tertiary hospital in Asia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study

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