Dermatosis y manifestaciones cutáneas asociadas al uso de equipos de protección personal en profesionales de la salud chilenos durante la pandemia Covid-19

Resumen

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic showed an unprecedented challenge for healthcare workers (HCWs), who required the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) for extended periods. This has led to various cutaneous manifestations (CM) and skin dermatoses (SD), whose prevalence in Chile is unknown. Materials and Methods: A quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey administered between February 10 and 18, 2022, to 863 healthcare workers in Chile. The relationship between PPE use and the presence of skin conditions was evaluated. Results: A 92.4% of participants presented cutaneous manifestations such as erythema, comedones, xerosis, and pruritus, while 54.6% developed skin dermatoses, primarily mask-induced acne (MA) and hand dermatitis (HD). A significant association was found between the use of KN95 mask and MA (p=0.004). A significant relationship was also reported between PPE use for more than 4 hours daily and HD (p=0.015), and PPE use for more than 6 hours daily with both MA and HD (p=0.006). Discussion: An increase in cutaneous manifestations among healthcare workers due to PPE use was observed, consistent with international reports. Conclusion: This study reveals the Chilean reality regarding skin conditions among healthcare workers due to PPE use during the pandemic. These findings may help guide prevention and mitigation strategies for these conditions in the future.