Personal protective equipment-related occupational dermatoses during COVID-19 among health care workers: A worldwide systematic review

BACKGROUND: Occupational dermatoses caused by personal protective equipment (PPE) in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are emerging occupational health challenges that must be promptly and effectively addressed to ease burden on our health care workers. OBJECTIVE: A systematic review was conducted to determine common PPE-related dermatoses, affected body sites, and implicated occupational contactants. We further proposed solutions to mitigate this problem. METHODS: Online databases were searched for articles on PPE-related dermatoses in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic written in English and published from January 1, 2020, to January 30, 2021. RESULTS: Sixteen studies, including a total of 3958 participants, were included. The most common dermatoses were xerosis, pressure-related erythema, and contact dermatitis, mainly affecting the face and hands. The most widely implicated contactants were increased frequency of hand hygiene, gloves, N95 masks, and goggles. Proposed solutions were categorized as individual self-care, protection of the workforce, and long-term preventive measures. CONCLUSION: Through measures such as regular basic skin care education, early access to specialty clinics via telemedicine, and designing of better-fit PPE, the challenges posed by PPE-related occupational dermatoses can be significantly reduced.