Occupational contact dermatitis among construction workers: results of a pilot study

Clinical, Occupational and Allergological Profile of 455 Patients with Occupational Contact Dermatitis: A 5-Year Study from a Tertiary Care Center of North India

Objectives:

To evaluate clinical and occupational profile and common allergens in patients with occupational contact dermatitis (OCD).

Materials and Methods:

The records of 455 (M:F 2:1) patients aged 18-85 years with allergic contact dermatitis were analyzed retrospectively. The diagnosis of OCD and patterns of dermatitis were defined by standard criteria. Indian standard series comprising 20 allergens and when suspected patient's own products were patch tested by Finn chamber method as per European Society of Contact Dermatitis guidelines and relevance of positive results was defined clinically.

Results:

Airborne contact dermatitis (27.7%), acral dermatitis (14.1%), hand dermatitis (12.9%), acrofacial dermatitis (12.7%), and facial dermatitis (10.5%) were the common patterns. Agriculturists (51.2%), homemakers (27.9%), office workers (24.6%), and construction workers (4.6%) comprised the majority. Positive patch test results in 58% cases were from parthenium (31.7%), p-paraphenylenediamine (PPD) (22.9%), nickel (16%), fragrance mix (11%), potassium dichromate (10.7%), cobalt (7.6%), and mercaptobenzothiazole (4.9%). Hair colorants, shoe chips, and shaving cream also produced relevant positive reactions. Parthenium, PPD, fragrance mix, and potassium dichromate in agriculturists; nickel, parthenium, PPD, fragrance mix, and potassium dichromate in women, and potassium dichromate and parthenium in construction workers elicited the most positive reactions. PPD and hair colorants elicited positive reaction mainly in office workers.

Conclusions:

The agriculturists, homemakers, and construction workers have OCD most frequently. Parthenium in farmers, potassium dichromate in construction workers, nickel in women, and PPD in office workers were the major contact allergens. The study is limited by its retrospective design, small number of patients, and limited number of patch test allergens.

Patch testing with expired Indian patch test kits: Results of a pilot study

BACKGROUND

The reliability of patch testing with expired Indian standard patch test kits has been not evaluated before.

METHODS

Thirty adults (men:women 25:5) with allergic contact dermatitis were divided into three groups of ten patients each for patch testing by Finn chamber® method using Indian standard patch test kits having expiry in 2016, 2015 and 2014. The results were compared with those from a new kit with 2018 expiry.

RESULTS

Ten patients in group-1, eight patients in group-2 and seven patients in group-3 developed positive reactions of identical intensities and mostly from identical allergens from all four kits. The major contact allergens eliciting positive reactions of identical intensities were parthenium in nine, five and three patients, colophony in four, one and zero patients, fragrance mix in three, three and one patients, thiuram mix in three, one and one patients, and paraphenylene diamine in two, one and three patients from group-1,-2, and -3, respectively.

LIMITATIONS

Small number of patients in each group remains the major limitation of the study. Whether or not these results can be extrapolated with patch test results from other similar patch test kits available across countries also needs confirmation.

CONCLUSION

The patch test allergens can be used beyond labeled expiry dates but needs confirmation by a few large studies and using other available patch test kits. This is important as the relevance of patch test results for individual allergen in this scenario may remain debatable requiring careful interpretation.

Clinicoepidemiological and Patch Test Profile of Patients Attending the Contact Dermatitis Clinic of a Tertiary Care Hospital in North India: A 7-Year Retrospective Study

Introduction:

Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is a growing concern due to increased use of cosmetics and topical medications routinely and exposure to a large number of allergens on day-to-day basis. Patch testing is a reliable method for detecting the causative antigens in suspected cases.

Aims and Objectives:

To assess the demographic profile, pattern of ACD, and patch test profile of suspected cases of ACD attending contact dermatitis clinic of our department.

Materials and Methods:

It was a retrospective study in which all the data enrolled in the contact dermatitis clinic of our department over a 7-year period were analyzed. Patch testing was done using the Indian Standard Series of 20 antigens primarily, and other batteries were used depending on patient requirement and availability.

Results:

A total of 582 patients were enrolled in the contact dermatitis clinic over a period of 7 years. Hand eczema was the most common pattern seen in 268 cases followed by feet eczema, hand and foot eczema, facial eczema, forearm and leg eczema and photoallergic contact eczema. A total of 177 patients (30.4%) gave positive patch test results, with nickel sulfate being the most common allergen identified followed by potassium dichromate, cobalt sulfate, paraphenylenediamine, neomycin sulfate, and fragrance mix.

Conclusion:

Common allergens identified in our study were more or less similar to studies from other parts of India. However, due to the unique climate of the valley, the profile of parthenium sensitivity was low in our study when compared to the rest of the country.

FAKTOR YANG BERHUBUNGAN DENGAN DERMATITIS KONTAK AKIBAT KERJA PADA PEKERJA PROYEK BANDARA

The incidence of contact dermatitis in Indonesia varies greatly and affects most workers. Epidemiological studied showed the incidence of Occupational Contact Dermatitis (OCD) was 0.5–1.9 cases/1000 workers/year. Aircarft Filling Depot Project at Juanda Airport is a construction project that is working on hydrant system and topping up development. This study was aimed at identifying risk factors of OCD among the project workers. A cross sectional design was used on 47 workers whom randomly selected during period May-June 2017. Data was collected using a questionnaire with the researcher’s guide. Occupational Contact Dermatitis is diagnosed by general practitioner that located in Naval Hospital (RUMKITAL) dr. Soekantyo Jahja Surabaya. Occupational contact dermatitis risk factors were analyzed using Chi-square test, followed by multiple logistic regression test. Of 47 workers, 21 (43.8%) experienced OCD. The use of personal protective equipment (PPE), duration of contact, personal hygiene, and history of skin diseases were associated with OCD (p < 0.01), whereas the type of work was not related to OCD (p = 0.491). The most dominant factor causing OCD was personal hygiene (OR = 9.659), followed by duration of contact (OR = 8.576), and history of skin disease (OR = 3.420). In conclusion, factors of use of PPE, length of contact, personal hygiene, and history of skin relationship with DKAK, while the type of work is not related to DKAKKeywords: aircraft filling depots project, occupational contact dermatitis, risk factor

Patch Test Results from an Occupational and Contact Dermatitis Clinic in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Southern India: A Retrospective Study

INTRODUCTION

Occupational contact dermatitis, accounting for 95% of cases of occupational dermatoses, is the most common occupational skin disease.

AIM

To find out the various allergens in different occupational and environmental settings causing contact allergy, from our patients presented with contact dermatitis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

It was a retrospective study from the data in hospital outpatient register over one year period, which includes patients with age ranging from 11 years to 73 years. Patch test was done with total of 24 allergens from Indian standard battery and Indian standard series and with materials suspected to cause contact allergy. Result was expressed in terms of percentage.

RESULTS

Contact dermatitis constitutes about 0.75% of total dermatological cases in our Dermatology Outpatient Department. A total of 358 contact dermatitis were included in this study with M:F ratio 2.25:1 and majority of the cases in the age group of 26-55 years. Out of 358 cases, 157 cases were positive to at least one allergen. Building construction workers constitute about 35.75% (128 cases) of total contact dermatitis cases, among which potassium dichromate (39 out of 57) is the most common allergen, followed by nickel (31) and cobalt (28). In other occupations, contact allergy to parthenium, hair dye, foot wear, paint, kum-kum, turmeric, detergents and cosmetics were also present in significant number and none was positive for vegetables, dettol, kerosene and native medication.

CONCLUSION

This study gives an idea about the common occupation and population who are prone to develop contact dermatitis in our environmental setting and also about the most common sensitizers involved in various occupation and environment.