A study, conducted by the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, showed that the incidence of dermatitis increased 4.5 times in healthcare workers after hand hygiene compliance increased, according to a European Cleaning Journal report.
Researchers studied reports voluntarily submitted by dermatologists to a national database between 1996 and 2012.
The study found that out of 7,138 cases of irritant-contact dermatitis reported, 1,796 were in healthcare workers. Health workers were 4.5 times more likely to suffer from irritant-contact dermatitis in 2012 as in 1996, while in other sectors cases declined or did not change.
However, the fact that hand hygiene compliance might lead to increasing levels of dermatitis is counter-intuitive to infection control initiatives, according to the report.
