Frequency and etiology of hand and forearm dermatoses among veterinarians

Veterinarians are exposed to a range of skin irritants and allergens, yet few studies have addressed the occurrence of dermatoses among veterinarians.

The goals of this study were to determine the frequency of noninfectious hand and forearm dermatoses among Kansas veterinarians, to estimate the role of occupational exposures in the aggravation of such dermatoses, to determine the frequency and nature of infectious dermatoses among veterinarians, and to investigate patterns of glove use. The secondary goals of this study were to collect information about the impact of skin disease on the lives and careers of veterinarians and to provide physicians with a practical approach to the treatment of veterinarians with dermatoses.

A questionnaire was mailed to all members of the Kansas Veterinary Medical Association.

The response rate was 60%. Twenty-four of respondents reported noninfectious, recurrent/persistent hand or forearm dermatoses; 66% were work related. Large animal veterinarians (P =.026) and atopics (P =.009) were more likely than their counterparts to attribute their dermatoses to work-related factors. Thirty-eight percent of respondents had contracted at least one infectious skin disease from an animal. Veterinarians who never or rarely use gloves during obstetric procedures were more likely to report work-related dermatoses (odds ratio, 4.25; 1.78 < OR < 10.07; P <.001) than those who use gloves.

Veterinarians are affected frequently by infectious and noninfectious dermatoses. Improvement of barrier protection habits during obstetric procedures would likely reduce the frequency of occupational dermatoses among veterinarians.