Prevalencia de lesiones dermatológicas ocupacionales por uso de medidas de protección para prevenir COVID–19 en trabajadores del Hospital José Carrasco Arteaga, 2020

Abstract

Background: the COVID -19 pandemic has obligated to healthcare workers to use personal protection equipment, as well as more frequent hand washing, alcohol and gel use, causing dermatological lesions. Objective: to determine the prevalence of occupational dermatological lesions due to protection measures to prevent COVID – 19 in workers of the Jose Carrasco Arteaga Hospital. Methodology: a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a 279 sample of healthcare workers of the Jose Carrasco Arteaga Hospital; the information was recollected through a questionnaire created by the authors and it was validated in healthcare workers of the Homero Castanier Crespo Hospital. The information was analyzed trough the IBM SPSS stadistics program version 22. Results: the 63,4% were women, face masks (100%) and surgical caps (76,3%) were the most used equipment. Face masks caused 57,7% of lesions, erythema being the main lesion (59%) and the nasal bridge was the most affected site. The injuries caused by glove usage were 34,1%, desquamation (83,2%) being the principal injury. It was found that healthcare workers wash their hands and use alcohol-based gel between 11 to 20 times a day with 28% and 29% respectively, a total of 55,9% reported hand lesions for its use and desquamation (83,3%) was the most prevalent. Conclusions: there is a high prevalence of dermatosis caused by the use of a mask, as well as by hand washing and the use of glove. These data are consistent with those found worldwide, since the beginning of the pandemic.