American Contact Dermatitis Society 21 Annual Meeting

patients with follow-up data and for whom alternative gloves were provided based on published
information of glove composition.
CONCLUSIONS: ACD to synthetic rubber gloves still occurs even with latex-safe products. More
knowledge on glove chemicals present to which the skin is exposed during use, is necessary to prevent
and treat ACD.
Hand Function in Workers with Hand Dermatitis
D Linn Holness, Elaine Harniman, Joel DeKoven, Sandy Skotnicki Grant, Dorcas Beaton, Rosemary
Nixon, Sharon Switzer McIntyre, University of Toronto and St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto, Canada, Skin
and Cancer Foundation, Melbourne, Australia.
Work-related hand dermatitis may result in functional impairment. The purpose of this study was to
describe the impairment and functional limitations associated with hand dermatitis using a variety of
survey tools and objective measurements.
The study was approved by the hospital Research Ethics Board. Sixty-three workers with hand dermatitis
were enrolled and assessed. Assessment included completion of the Dermatology Life Quality Index,
Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand, Work Instability Sore, Work Limitations Questionnaire
and SF-36. Physical examination included fist, tuck and abduction of the fingers, opposition of the thumb,
grip strength and sensation.
Mean age was 42, 44% were female and mean duration of dermatitis was 4 years. Thirty-five per cent
had lost time off work in the past year. Seventy-two per cent experienced a moderately to extremely
large impact on dermatitis-related quality of life. Forty-eight per cent had moderate to high risk of work
instability and work productivity was decreased in 31%. On physical examination of the hand, less than 5
subjects had limitation of fist and/or finger abduction, 50% had limitation of tuck and 23% had limitation of
thumb opposition. Eighty-two per cent had impairment in grip strength. Forty nine percent reported
numbness.
The results of this initial descriptive study suggest that a broader range of assessment methods may be
appropriate for workers with hand dermatitis. Some combination of these measures may provide an
alternate way of assessing impairment than those currently used such as the AMA Guide to Impairment
and Disability.
Funded by the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board
Lyral Stability in Petrolatum
Carsten Hamann 1 , Dathan Hamann 1 , Erik ZImerson 2 , Maguns Bruze 2
1 Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan
2 Lund University, Malmö University Hospital, Malmö, Sweden
Lyral is a common additive in perfumes, lotions, and other beauty products; it is one of the primary
allergens in Fragrance Mix II of the European Standard Series. Because some dermatologists prepare
their patch tests up to a week in advance or order custom patch tests prepared by outside labs, patch
tests may experience prolonged exposure to temperatures above storage recommendations, and contact
to open air. Beginning in January of 2009 we analyzed the volatility of Lyral suspended in petrolatum and
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