Skin Lesions and Personal Protective Equipment in Health Care Workers From Lima, Peru, During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Study.

IF 3.8 4区医学 Q2 IMMUNOLOGY

Open Forum Infectious Diseases Pub Date : 2025-08-20 eCollection Date: 2025-09-01 DOI:10.1093/ofid/ofaf509

Carolina Coombes-Perez, Paula Arribas-Garcia, Amira Llerena-Delgado, Manuel Armando Del Solar-Chacaltana, Rodrigo M Carrillo-Larco

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, health care workers (HCWs) relied on personal protective equipment (PPE) to mitigate COVID-19 infections. However, prolonged use of PPE led to a risk of developing skin lesions (SLs).

Methods: In this study, we evaluated the frequency, characteristics, and factors associated with SLs while using PPE. We surveyed 190 HCWs in 2 hospitals in Lima, Peru, between September 2020 and May 2021 using a convenience sampling method. Eligible participants were hospital personnel actively working on-site and using PPE. The questionnaire focused on reporting SLs related to PPE use.

Results: The frequency of SLs among our sample of HCWs was 77%. The most frequent SLs were erythema (44%), comedones (18%), and erosions (15%), located most frequently on the nasal bridge (62%) and cheeks (28%). Of the surveyed HCWs, 39% reported using some form of prevention method to avoid SLs, with adhesive tape or bandages being the most common (58%). Working in the intensive care unit (adjusted prevalence ratio [aPR], 1.60; 95% CI, 1.11-2.29), working >12 hours per day (aPR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.11-2.41), and experiencing burning sensations (aPR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.05-1.55) or dryness (aPR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.02-1.90) on the skin were associated with a higher likelihood of having SLs.

Conclusions: By documenting the frequency of SL in our sample of HCWs while using PPE, we underscore the need for continuous biosafety monitoring to improve occupational well-being among HCWs.

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COVID-19大流行期间秘鲁利马卫生保健工作者的皮肤病变和个人防护装备：一项横断面研究

背景：在COVID-19大流行期间，卫生保健工作者（HCWs）依靠个人防护装备（PPE）来减轻COVID-19感染。然而，长期使用个人防护装备会导致发生皮肤损伤的风险。方法：在本研究中，我们评估了使用PPE时发生SLs的频率、特征和相关因素。我们在2020年9月至2021年5月期间对秘鲁利马两家医院的190名卫生保健员进行了调查，采用了方便抽样方法。符合条件的参与者是积极在现场工作并使用个人防护装备的医院人员。调查问卷的重点是报告与PPE使用相关的语言障碍。结果：本组卫生保健工作者中出现SLs的频率为77%。最常见的SLs是红斑（44%）、粉刺（18%）和糜烂（15%），最常见于鼻梁（62%）和脸颊（28%）。在接受调查的卫生保健工作者中，39%报告使用某种形式的预防方法来避免SLs，胶带或绷带是最常见的（58%）。在重症监护室工作（调整患病率[aPR]， 1.60; 95% CI, 1.11-2.29）、每天工作12小时（aPR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.11-2.41）、皮肤有烧灼感（aPR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.05-1.55）或皮肤干燥（aPR, 1.39; 95% CI, 1.02-1.90）与SLs发生的可能性较高相关。结论：通过记录我们样本中使用个人防护装备的医护人员SL的频率，我们强调了持续生物安全监测以改善医护人员职业健康的必要性。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Open Forum Infectious Diseases Medicine-Neurology (clinical)

CiteScore

6.70

自引率

4.80%

发文量

630

审稿时长

9 weeks

期刊介绍： Open Forum Infectious Diseases provides a global forum for the publication of clinical, translational, and basic research findings in a fully open access, online journal environment. The journal reflects the broad diversity of the field of infectious diseases, and focuses on the intersection of biomedical science and clinical practice, with a particular emphasis on knowledge that holds the potential to improve patient care in populations around the world. Fully peer-reviewed, OFID supports the international community of infectious diseases experts by providing a venue for articles that further the understanding of all aspects of infectious diseases.