ABSTRACT
Adverse skin reactions are frequently reported by healthcare workers (HCWs) using face personal protective equipment (F-PPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic (Skiveren 2022). The skin is constantly provoked due to occlusion and friction by using F-PPE. This leads to itchy, dry, irritated, scaly and or red skin, which can be associated with eczema. This study is based on self-reported symptoms. Purpose: To describe the prevalence of red and irritated skin and risk factors related to the use of F-PPE among frontline HCWs at six Danish hospitals. Methods: A questionnaire survey was sent electronically to 22.993 HCWs. Results: The response rate was 44.7% (n=10.287). Of those, who used both surgical masks and FFP2-3, 37.8% (n=3893) reported red and irritated skin. Nurses were the largest group of responders (n=5924, 71.8%) and had significant more often red and irritated skin (n=2530, 42.7%) than physicians (n=553, 23.7%). Female HCWs (n=8854, 86.1%) had significant (p>0.001) more often symptoms (n=3575, 40.4%) than men (n=318, 22.2%). The responders who reported chronic skin disease like atopic dermatitis (n=560) had more often red and irritated skin (53.2%) than those without (37.0%) (p<0.001). Some skin types were more prone to have red and irritated skin;sensitive skin (42.2% based on n=1998), combined skin (42.2% based on n=1453), dry skin (32.2% based on n=5263), and oily skin (31.4% based on n=986). The difference between the skin types was significant, unless between dry and oily skin (p=0.629). Conclusions: To minimize adverse skin reactions due to the use of F-PPE, individual risk assessment is needed.