Allergic contact dermatitis due to ethyl alcohol

Nurses’ perceptions of the benefits and adverse effects of hand disinfection: alcohol-based hand rubs vs. hygienic handwashing: a multicentre questionnaire study with additional patch testing by the German Contact Dermatitis Research Group

“…As commercially available alcohols are not usually pure, impurities and contaminants could be responsible for positive cutaneous reactions. However, positive test results with alcohols purified by gas chromatography could verify some of the reported cases of type IV allergies to ethanol, 43,49 1‐propanol 50,51 and 2‐propanol 50,52…”

Adverse reactions associated with an alcohol-based hand antiseptic among nurses in a neonatal intensive care unit

“…A case of allergic contact dermatitis as a result of exposure to ethyl alcohol was reported in a 63-yearold man who received frequent venipuncture and presented with pruritic erythema to the antecubital area. 9 A dressing to the area contained 83% ethyl alcohol. The patient, who had a history of intolerance to oral and topical alcohol, had a positive patch test to ethyl alcohol at 15 minutes, 2 days, and 3 days.…”

Sauber macht krank – Das Zusammenspiel von Händehygiene und Handekzemen

“…Am ehesten dürften die wenigen kutanen Allergien auf Alkohole wie Ethanol auf die Akkumulation von Acetaldehyd zurückzu− führen sein, welche bei einer Defizienz der Aldehydreduktase auftreten kann [18,19]. Diesem circulus vitiosus gilt es vorzubeugen.…”