New research examining the risk factors for irritant contact dermatitis—a common skin condition marked by scaling, redness, itching, and burning due to a chemical substance on the skin—among health care workers, finds that those who washed their hands more than 10 times per day were more likely to develop the condition than those who washed their hands less frequently, reports the e-newsletter Cleanzine.

Speaking at the 66th annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, dermatologist Susan T. Nedorost, associate professor of dermatology at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, OH, presented findings that demonstrated a positive link between frequent hand washing and irritant contact dermatitis, or hand dermatitis, among health care workers.

"We demonstrated that some people are predisposed to skin reactions to irritant detergents, and those who do 'wet' work in low humidity conditions where frequent hand washing is an essential part of the job are very susceptible to hand dermatitis," said Dr. Nedorost. "Our findings confirm that health care workers who wash their hands repeatedly are at an increased risk of developing hand dermatitis, which can take months to heal. "

Conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the study included a total of 100 health care workers who washed their hands at least eight times daily. The study found that 63 per cent of participants developed hand dermatitis. Specifically, 22 per cent of participants who washed their hands more than 10 times per day developed hand dermatitis compared to only 13 per cent of those who washed their hands less than 10 times daily.

The researchers determined that neither the use of an alcohol-based cleanser nor the use of gloves significantly influenced the development of hand dermatitis.

In addition, Dr. Nedorost determined that the most important factor in predicting those at risk for hand dermatitis was a reaction to the detergent sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). The large percentage of participants who reacted positively to SLS and developed hand dermatitis far outweighed the number of participants who did not react positively to SLS, but subsequently developed hand dermatitis.

As seen on ISSA.com.