Contact dermatitis in medical and non-medical health care workers of the Dermatology Department of the Silesian Medical Academy, Katowice

Contact dermatitis is the most frequent occupational dermatosis. The aim of the study was to compare the frequency of positive allergic contact dermatitis from main epidermal allergens in medical and non-medical health care workers of the Dermatology Department of the Silesian Medical Academy. The patients had positive history of contact dermatitis. At the same time bacterial colonisation of the skin was estimated. The patch tests with the standard series were applied to the upper back (standard I, standard II, latex, cosmetics). The swabs from nasal mucosal membrane and following inoculations on the standard culture medium (Chapmann) were also done to assess staphylococcal carrier-state. In groups of medical and non-medical health care workers (of the comparable size) contact dermatitis to lanolin, neomycin and latex was observed most frequently. In both groups there were more methicillin-resistant staphylococcus carriers observed as their employment became longer.