Introduction of a hand dermatitis clinic to reduce occupational dermatoses during the covid-19 pandemic.

Abstract

Background: The SARS-Co-V pandemic has necessitated strict hand hygiene practices in healthcare settings. An increased incidence of staff presentations of occupational dermatitis in our institutions prompted the establishment of a drop-in access daily hand dermatitis clinic. Objective: to document the incidence and severity of cases of occupational dermatitis arising in healthcare workers during the first wave of the pandemic, and to reduce the impact of this with early assessment and treatment. Methods: an open-access daily staff clinic run by dermatologists was established, and demographic and clinical data collected from each clinical encounter. Results: 532 staff attended the clinic over a 6 week period. This compared to 7 staff presenting to occupational health over the same period in 2019. The majority were females 81%,and ward based 51%. ITU and A&E staff represented 15%. The prevalence of occupational hand dermatitis was 88%. 52% were classed as mild, 26% as moderate 26% and 9% severe/very severe. Conclusions: the pandemic and associated hand hygiene practices have led to a substantial increase in presentations of occupational hand dermatitis. A drop-in clinic proved an effective way of allowing staff to access treatment in a timely fashion.