Irritant XXXX in health care workers.

@entity3406 @entity283 @entity566 @entity9759 @entity406 @entity272 @entity285 @entity1909
BACKGROUND: @entity283 ( @entity283 ) are at increased risk of @entity9759 due to frequent hand washing and use of @entity285 gel. This has increased the incidence of occupational @entity272 . AIMS: To evaluate @entity1909 in @entity283 in our hospital by means of a survey which also examined trends of exposure and the utility of patch testing. METHODS: @entity283 diagnosed with @entity1909 in our contact @entity1909 clinic from January 2011 to July 2012 were included. Information was collected retrospectively from medical notes, computer records and the database of the British @entity566 Society. RESULTS: A total of 69 @entity283 were diagnosed with @entity1909 , with a prevalence of ~4%. The majority were female and the clinical areas in which they worked were diverse. About 98% (68) had @entity9759 , and hand washing was the commonest cause of symptoms. About 75% (51) had @entity9759 exclusively. Patch test was positive in 42% with the commonest reaction to @entity3406 , followed by @entity406 . Associated atopy was found in less than half of the cases. CONCLUSIONS: Irritant @entity1909 is prevalent in @entity283 in this setting. Patch testing is useful to identify any additional allergic element in such cases.
