The aim of this cross-sectional field study was to establish the condition of hand and forearm skin barrier among dentists and physicians and how it may be associated with personal and work-related factors. The study consisted of an occupational questionnaire, clinical examination of skin on hands, and transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and pH measurements on hands and forearms. The participants were divided in the following groups (N=37 each, N=148 in total): physicians, medical surgeons, dentists, and dental surgeons. We calculated the difference between hand and forearm TEWL and pH (Delta TEWL and Delta pH, respectively) and divided it by the forearm values (Delta TEWL% and Delta pH%, respectively). There was a clear trend of increasing median Delta TEWL%, starting from physicians with non-surgical specialisation (56 %) to medical surgeons (65 %), dentists (104 %), and dental surgeons (108 %), with the latter two groups showing particularly worrisome signs of work-related skin barrier impairment, since they had double the TEWL on hands than on forearms. Although less prominent, the same worsening trend was noted for skin pH, with dental surgeons having on average a 0.3 points higher skin pH on hands than on forearms. These findings were mainly associated with prolonged glove use and male sex. Our findings also suggest that comparing TEWL and pH between hands and forearms can better establish occupational skin barrier impairment on hands. Cilj ove presje & ccaron;ne epidemiolo & scaron;ke terenske studije bio je istra & zcaron;iti razliku izme & dstrok;u stanja ko & zcaron;ne barijere & scaron;aka i podlaktica me & dstrok;u zdravstvenim radnicima te povezanosti s osobnim i radnim & ccaron;imbenicima. Studija je uklju & ccaron;ivala upitnik o radnoj izlo & zcaron;enosti, klini & ccaron;ki pregled ko & zcaron;e & scaron;aka i mjerenje transepidermalnoga gubitka vode (TEWL) i pH ko & zcaron;e & scaron;aka i podlaktica. Sudionici su bili sljede & cacute;i zdravstveni djelatnici (N=37 u svakoj skupini): lije & ccaron;nici-nekirurzi, lije & ccaron;nici-kirurzi, stomatolozi-nekirurzi i stomatolozi-kirurzi. Delta TEWL i Delta pH izra & ccaron;unani su kao razlika vrijednosti na & scaron;aci i podlaktici, a Delta TEWL% i Delta pH% kao ta razlika podijeljena s vrijedno & scaron;& cacute;u na podlaktici. Uo & ccaron;ili smo jasan trend pove & cacute;anja razlika izme & dstrok;u stanja ko & zcaron;ne barijere & scaron;ake u odnosu na podlakticu, po & ccaron;ev & scaron;i od lije & ccaron;nika-nekirurga s medijanom Delta TEWL% od 56 %, do lije & ccaron;nika-kirurga (65 %), stomatologa-nekirurga (104 %) i stomatologa-kirurga (108 %). TEWL vrijednosti na & scaron;akama u objema skupinama stomatologa u prosjeku su bile dvostruko ve & cacute;e od onih na podlaktici, & scaron;to je posebno zabrinjavaju & cacute;i pokazatelj o & scaron;te & cacute;enja ko & zcaron;ne barijere. Iako manje izra & zcaron;en, isti trend pogor & scaron;anja primije & cacute;en je za pH ko & zcaron;e, pri & ccaron;emu su kirurzi u prosjeku imali 0,3 vi & scaron;i pH ko & zcaron;e & scaron;aka nego podlaktica. Dugotrajna uporaba rukavica bila je glavni radni & ccaron;imbenik povezan s o & scaron;te & cacute;enjem ko & zcaron;ne barijere vidljivim u ve & cacute;oj razlici vrijednosti TEWL i pH ko & zcaron;e & scaron;ake i podlaktice, a mu & scaron;ki je spol bio osobni & ccaron;imbenik zna & ccaron;ajno povezan s vi & scaron;im TEWL-om i ni & zcaron;im pH ko & zcaron;e. Na & scaron;i rezultati upu & cacute;uju na bolju diferencijaciju o & scaron;te & cacute;enja ko & zcaron;ne barijere na rukama zbog profesionalne izlo & zcaron;enosti ko & zcaron;nim & scaron;tetnostima usporedbom rezultata mjerenja na & scaron;aci s rezultatom na podlaktici.
