Dermatological manifestations among doctors using personal protective equipment in coronavirus disease 19 pandemic: a study based on self-reported questionnaire and telephonic consultation

Abstract

Background: Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic is a recent outbreak of a viral infection caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Increase in the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) among doctors has resulted in increase in adverse effects such as contact dermatitis, urticaria, acne, and infections. Objectives: To identify the prevalence of common dermatosis developing in doctors using PPE. To compare if dermatosis is more common in doctors working in COVID-19 dedicated setup. To assess if the development of dermatosis use was related to the duration of PPE use. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional type of observational study was conducted. A questionnaire was circulated on social media to the doctors. The response was collected in Microsoft Excel and analyzed. Results: Two hundred and sixty-nine (71.35%) doctors reported the development of dermatosis due to personal protective equipment (PPE) use. Eczema of the face (30%) and acne (26.25%) were the commonly reported dermatosis in our study. The development of dermatosis was significantly related to the duration of PPE use. Our study revealed a high prevalence of dermatosis among doctors using PPE, which was related to the duration of work. Conclusion: Hence, there is a need to make the doctors aware about such dermatosis, suggest prevention measures, provide them with effective dermatological treatment, and establish guidelines for prevention for occupational skin disorders at a national level.

Keywords

• adverse skin reactions
• coronavirus disease 19 pandemic
• eczema
• occupational acne
• personal protective equipment