Causes of irritant contact dermatitis after occupational skin exposure: a systematic review

Abstract

Purpose Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) is a major cause of occupational disease. The aim was to review the relation between exposure to occupational irritants and ICD and the prognosis of ICD. Methods Through a systematic search, 1516 titles were identified, and 48 studies were included in the systematic review. Results We found that the evidence for an association between ICD and occupational irritants was strong for wet work, moderate for detergents and non-alcoholic disinfectants, and strong for a combination. The highest quality studies provided limited evidence for an association with use of occlusive gloves without other exposures and moderate evidence with simultaneous exposure to other wet work irritants. The evidence for an association between minor ICD and exposure to metalworking fluids was moderate. Regarding mechanical exposures, the literature was scarce and the evidence limited. We found that the prognosis for complete healing of ICD is poor, but improves after decrease of exposure through change of occupation or work tasks. There was no substantial evidence for an influence of gender, age, or household exposures. Inclusion of atopic dermatitis in the analysis did not alter the risk of ICD. Studies were at risk of bias, mainly due to selection and misclassification of exposure and outcome. This may have attenuated the results. Conclusion This review reports strong evidence for an association between ICD and a combination of exposure to wet work and non-alcoholic disinfectants, moderate for metalworking fluids, limited for mechanical and glove exposure, and a strong evidence for a poor prognosis of ICD.

Work‐related and personal risk factors for occupational contact dermatitis: A systematic review of the literature with meta‐analysis

“…Wet work is primarily a risk factor for ICD, as water can work as an irritant that easily penetrates into the skin leading to barrier damage. In agreement with the findings of the present review, in a recent systematic review of Jacobsen et al evidence was found for strong association between ICD and wet work exposure 20 …”

Facial Irritant Contact Dermatitis Caused by Pyraclostrobin

“…ICD usually presents as local dermatitis, which usually precedes ACD, 7 and ICD is usually the main cause of occupational skin disease. 8 The clinical symptoms of the patient we reported were mainly facial burning and tingling, and localized erythematous-edematous and scaly rash. Combining the patient's occupational environment and exposure to irritants, we diagnosed ICD.…”

“…ICD usually presents as local dermatitis, which usually precedes ACD, 7 and ICD is usually the main cause of occupational skin disease. 8 …”

Applying skin protective cream and the wearing of gloves?—A randomized controlled experimental study

“…1 The use of liquid-proof gloves is generally recommended in wet-work tasks with the aim of decreasing the frequency of direct contact with water and irritants. 1,2 Glove occlusion is associated with the development of irritant contact dermatitis (ICD), [3][4][5][6] suggesting that occlusion alone might be a major risk factor for the development of ICD. However, according to experimental and field studies, 7,8 only the extensive and prolonged use of gloves, 5 and concomitant exposure to detergents and water seems to be relevant for the occurrence of barrier dysfunction.…”