Hand eczema patients’ knowledge of skin protection following a guided talk—A retrospective study with a follow‐up questionnaire

Psychological burden, anxiety, depression and quality of life in patients with hand eczema: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Living with hand eczema (HE) has been associated with impaired quality of life (QoL), having anxiety and depression but the magnitude of association is not clear.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to determine the psychological burden in terms of anxiety, depression and quality of life in patients with HE.

METHODS

Several databases were systematically searched. Weighted means with standard deviation (SD) were calculated for disease severity, QoL, depression and/or anxiety scores among patients with HE. For studies presenting QoL, depression and/or anxiety scores in patients with HE and in controls the weighted means were compared with an unpaired t-test. In studies reporting Hand Eczema Severity Index (HECSI) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), the correlation between HECSI and DLQI was estimated using Spearman's rank correlation (rs).

RESULTS

In total, 81 studies encompassing 17,835 patients with HE and 31,541 controls were included. The weighted mean DLQI was 10.66 (SD 8.93) corresponding to a moderate-to-large effect on QoL and a strong correlation (rs: 0.76, 95% CI:0.56-0.87) between DLQI and HECSI was observed. The mean EQ-5D-VAS was significantly lower in patients with HE compared with controls (68.03 (SD 10.52) vs. 80.63 (SD 1.17), p < 0.00001). Patients with HE had higher mean HADS (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) anxiety score (7.4 vs. 5.8, p = 0.0008) than controls but not higher HADS depression score (6.5 vs. 5.7, p = 0.32). Only one study assessed risk of anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation showing an increased odds of all diseases among patients with HE compared with controls.

CONCLUSION

Hand eczema has a moderate-to-severe impact on quality of life with a strong correlation between disease severity and impact on quality of life. Patients with hand eczema have an impact on QoL comparable to other chronic diseases when measured with generic QoL scoring systems.

Professional Cleaners' and Healthcare Workers' Ability to Recognize Hand Eczema

Timely intervention reduces the risk of a poor prognosis in hand eczema, making early recognition of symptoms important in high-risk professions. However, limited data exist regarding the ability of cleaners and healthcare workers to recognize hand eczema. The aim of this study was to examine cleaners' and healthcare workers' ability to recognize hand eczema in clinical photographs and to assess the severity of the disease. Cleaners and healthcare workers completed a questionnaire consisting of 16 questions and participated in a structured interview referring to a validated photographic severity guide for chronic hand eczema, which comprised clinical photographs of hand eczema at varying levels of severity. Eighty cleaners and 201 healthcare workers (total N = 281) participated in the study. The rates of correctly identified hand eczema in clinical photographs (cleaners/ healthcare workers) were: 41.2%/57.7% (mild hand eczema), 81.2%/92.0% (moderate hand eczema), 85.0%/94.5% (severe hand eczema) and 82.5%/97.0% (very severe hand eczema). The proficiency of healthcare workers in recognizing hand eczema was significantly higher than that of cleaners. The results indicate that a large proportion of cleaners and healthcare workers fail to recognize mild hand eczema in clinical photographs. Healthcare workers had higher success rates in recognizing hand eczema in all severity categories. Symptom underestimation may lead to under-reporting of the true prevalence of hand eczema, with consequent loss of opportunities for prevention.

Prevalence and risk factors for hand eczema among professional hospital cleaners in Denmark: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study

BACKGROUND

Professional cleaners are commonly affected by hand eczema (HE) due to wet work and exposure to cleaning products in the work environment.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate (1) the prevalence of HE in a group of professional hospital cleaners, (2) the association of HE with various comorbidities and self-reported signs/symptoms of skin lesions and (3) the association of HE with various occupational and personal risk factors in the same population.

METHODS

A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study including all cleaners working in three hospitals in Denmark. The questionnaire was composed of 35 questions. Prevalence is reported using proportions with 95% confidence intervals and compared using difference of proportions and Fisher's exact test.

RESULTS

A total of 122 out of 180 cleaners (response rate = 68%) participated in this study. The self-reported lifetime prevalence of HE among the cleaners was 30.3%, while the 1-year prevalence was 18.9%. HE was significantly associated with a history of atopic diseases. There was a significant correlation between having HE, and self-reported redness and itch of the hands in the last 12 months, as well as the use of hydrochloric acid ≥4 days/week during the last 12 months. Logistic regression analysis found HE significantly associated with washing hands ≥20 times during a working day and a history of atopic dermatitis.

CONCLUSION

Cleaners are at an elevated risk of developing HE. More focus on education/information regarding the prevention and treatment of HE is necessary for the cleaning profession. Self-reported redness and itching of the hands may be a useful prediction of HE in cleaners.

Adolescents' Knowledge and Attitudes Related to Hand Eczema: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background

Hand eczema (HE) is a common inflammatory skin disease occurring in subjects of any age. Literature data on knowledge of HE in different age-groups are scarce.

Purpose

To evaluate knowledge and attitudes related to HE among adolescents.

Methods

A total of 258 high school students were invited to participate in this project. A specially designed questionnaire created on the base of previous studies was used to assess adolescents' knowledge of HE. HE was self-reported answering the validated single question "Have you ever had hand eczema?"

Results

Data from 243 students (94.2% response rate) were obtained for final analysis. There were 117 (48.1%) females and 126 (51.9%), males with a mean age of 16.0±1.7 years. Sixty-eight students (28%) reported a personal history of HE, and 32.8% declared having knowledge of HE. More females than males (P=0.023) declared that they knew what HE was (39.3% and 26.2%, respectively). Hand cream was used on a regular basis by 49% of adolescents. Females used hand cream more frequently (P<0.001) than males. No difference in declared knowledge of HE was found between subjects with and without a personal history of hand lesions. Students declaring having adequate knowledge of HE used hand cream more commonly (P=0.045).

Conclusion

Although HE is a common disease in the general population, including adolescents, less than a third of subjects were aware of this entity. Almost half were using hand cream, but interestingly, personal history of HE did not increase the regular application of hand cream.

Intervention study to evaluate the importance of information given to patients with contact allergy: a randomized, investigator-blinded clinical trial

BACKGROUND

In contact dermatitis, it is crucial to understand and remember the outcome of patch testing. Unfortunately, many patients do not remember the results of their patch tests.

OBJECTIVES

Our aim was to evaluate the effects of an intervention programme in which extensive information on specific contact allergy was provided, in individuals with positive patch test reactions.

METHODS

The study was designed as a randomized, investigator-blinded clinical trial. Participants with positive test reactions were randomized into two groups that received either standard information according to clinical routine or standard information and a reminder letter. Knowledge of contact allergies was evaluated using questionnaires 12 months after inclusion.

RESULTS

There were 184 adults included in the trial and the response rate at 1-year follow-up was 78% (143 of 184). Sixty-five per cent (45 of 69) in the intervention group and 54% (40 of 74) in the control group reported the correct name of the allergen (P = 0·23). Participants with several - as opposed to few - positive patch test reactions had difficulty in remembering the correct names of the allergens (P = 0·001). Moreover, the type of allergy had an influence on their ability to remember the name of the allergen correctly and their ability to make changes in lifestyle.

CONCLUSIONS

The intervention performed did not significantly affect the participants' ability to remember their contact allergy. To achieve better knowledge and changes in lifestyle, efforts to inform should concentrate on individuals with several positive patch test reactions, those with particular allergens, individuals over 60 years of age, and - concerning changes in lifestyle - males.