Problem Faced
Occupational contact dermatitis is a major health problem with significant impact on the quality of life.[1] The mainstay of therapy is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), which is more important than oral and topical medications. Homemakers, household helps, farmers, chemical workers, construction workers, fishery workers, sanitation workers, coconut tree climbers and coal miners[1] find it difficult to refrain from wetting their feet or contacting irritants. In addition, the common Indian practice of wearing shoes and sandals made of leather or rubber on bare feet at work may trigger allergic contact dermatitis in susceptible individuals.[2] The use of disposable plastic booties or latex socks is also not practical. Disposable plastic booties available in the western market are expensive and may be susceptible to punctures, cuts and snags. On the other hand, occlusive latex socks may themselves act as agents entrapping water, sweat, irritants on diseased feet.
Solution Proposed
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) anti-skid rain shoe cover is a practical option for protecting the feet in such cases [Figure 1a]. PVC rain shoe anti-skid cover is anti-abrasive, light weight, washable, durable, portable and typically designed to protect footwear from rainwater, dust, sand and other materials. The sole is made of PVC, the boot cover is made of elastic and the additional rope to secure and fasten the cover makes it waterproof [Figure 1b]. The device is available in various sizes and lengths. The author advises the patients to wear them on bare feet before engaging in activities involving prolonged contact with water and irritants as they provide a waterproof environment without compromising agility. The advantages over Indian footwear, plastic booties or latex socks include easy availability, economy, practicality and protection from other dermatoses, for example, toe web pace intertrigo, paronychia, erosio Interdigitalis Blastomycetica (EIB) and allergic contact dermatitis thus making it suitable for everyday use. We advise their use on feet for improvement of primary condition and prevent recurrence.
Figure 1.
(a) The use of commercially available PVC ANTI-SKID RAIN SHOE COVER which is worn over bare feet before indulging in water work or contacting irritants (b) PVC soles, elastic cover, rope to fasten
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
References
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