Volume 26, Issue 119, January 2022

Skin problems related to personal protective equipment and personal hygiene measures during COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare workers in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

Abdullah Jubran Alqhtani¹, Abrar Ahmed Bin Abbas², Moayad Abdullah Zarbh³, Mousa Amer Alshehri⁴, Saleh Mohammed Alqahtani⁴, Rawan Abdullah Alqahtani⁵, Ghada Ahmed Bin Abbas⁶, Ebtehaj Sultan Alshareif^5♦

¹Consultant Dermatologist, Department of Dermatology, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Saudi Arabia
²Dermatology Resident, Department of Dermatology, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Saudi Arabia
³Emergency Medicine Resident, Department of Emergency Medicine, Armed Forces Hospital in Southern Region, Saudi Arabia
⁴General practitioner, Department of Dermatology, Aseer Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia
⁵Medical Intern, College of General Medicine and Surgery, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia
⁶Medical Student, College of General Medicine and Surgery, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia

^♦Corresponding author
Medical Intern, College of General Medicine and Surgery, King Khalid University, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Background: Reports revealed rising levels of skin diseases secondary to protective equipment use. Healthcare providers who are working day and night during the pandemic of COVID-19 are more susceptible to the damage of the skin. There is scarce published data about the incidence of skin disorders secondary to protective equipment use during the COVID-19 pandemic and what factors are associated in Saudi Arabia. Aim: Assessing the potential skin damage as a result of personal protection equipment (PPE) and intensive hygiene measures for healthcare providers during COVID-19 pandemic in Aseer region. Methods: This study a crosssectional questionnaire-based study done in Aseer region from January to October 2021. Personal data and related to history of skin disease, practices toward personal protective equipment, and new skin damage was collected and analyzed. Independent t-test and chi-square test was used to determine factors associated with the incidence of new skin damage during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Total of 214 participants was included in the study. (47.7%) of the participants reported experiencing new skin damage during the COVID-19 pandemic, while 112 (52.3%) of the participants did not. Age, having a history of chronic skin disease, and number of worn gloves layers were all significantly associated with the incidence of skin damage during COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The considerable rate of new skin damage during the COVID-19 pandemic makes it essential to take action and start rising awareness toward this topic among health-care workers as well as teaching them how to prevent the incidence of new skin damage.

Keywords: Skin damage, COVID-19, Pandemic, Hygiene, Personal protective equipment, Asser region

Medical Science, 2022, 26, ms20e2044

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.54905/disssi/v26i119/ms20e2044

Published: 11 January 2022