Healthcare Worker Having Irritant Contact Dermatitis Due to Rubber Accelerators: A Case Report

Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) is common among workers, especially healthcare workers, partly due to medical latex gloves. The main element found in gloves is the accelerator. Most research indicates that thiurams and dithiocarbamate groups cause allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Rattanarak et al, 2019 reported that accelerators could cause ICD. The current research was of a 26-year-old working as a nurse in the operating room, having symptoms of erythematous rash, burning sensation, and mild itching. Opened application test of the rubber gloves was negative. The suspected glove came from the Thai rubber latex company, which declined to provide information. However, Rojruthai et al, 2022 extracted and analyzed residual accelerators from Thai rubber latex gloves and found dithiocarbamates, ZDEC, ZDBC, ZMBT, and thiuram. The worker was diagnosed with occupational ICD from rubber accelerators, thiurams and dithiocarbamate, albeit cases are rare. The worker was treated with low-dose steroids and provided access to low-dermatitis potential medical gloves. After six months of follow-up, the worker recovered. Therefore, physicians should be aware of the signs and symptoms of ICD in workers exposed to accelerators in medical gloves. Avoiding causative substances is the most effective way to avoid ICD, so providing suitable low-dermatitis potential medical gloves is essential for this group of patients.

Keywords: Case reports; Irritant contact dermatitis; Medical gloves; Rubber accelerator; Occupational