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News and events• Recent awards |
| Example of allergic contact dermatitis caused by Basic Red 46 |
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Recent awards
Eminent Scientist of the Year 2009
Dr Rosemary Nixon was recently awarded the "Eminent Scientist of the Year 2009 in Dermatology and Occupational Health" from the International Research Promotion Council (IRPC). Rosemary was selected to receive this award for her contribution to the field of dermatology and occupational health, as a researcher and the only dual qualified dermatologist and occupational physician in Australia. Her article "Describing Outcomes in Occupational Dermatitis" can be read in Recent Advances and Recent Updates, Vol: 11, No: 1, Jan 2010.
Jan Wahlberg prize
In 2008, ODREC founder Dr Rosemary Nixon was awarded the prestigious Jan Wahlberg prize, for the best paper submitted to the biennial European Society of Contact Dermatitis meeting. Her paper was entitled: "Severity Scale and Algorithm for Outcomes in Occupational Contact Dermatitis".
Appointment to the International Contact Dermatitis Research Group (ICDRG)
In 2009, Dr Nixon was appointed to the ICDRG, succeeding Dr Susi Freeman. The eminent members of this group comprise Professor Jean-Marie Lachapelle (Belgium), Professor Howard Maibach (USA), Professor Hee Chul Eun (Korea), Professor Magnus Bruze (Sweden), Professor Klaus Andersen (Denmark), Professor An Goosens (Belgium), Professor Thomas Diepgen (Germany), Professor Peter Elsner (Germany), Dr Iris Ale (Uruguay), Professor Chee Leok Goh (Singapore), Professor Kayoko Matsunaga (Japan), Dr Denis Sasseville (Canada), Dr John McFadden (UK) and Dr Hemanji Jerajani (India).
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News
ODREC personnel have hit the ground running for 2010 with the return of Mandy Palmer from maternity leave and the continued involvement of Dr Jenny Cahill in a research role for one day a week.
We have proceeded with the upgrading of our database CAMS. This will be very exciting! it should be completed in the next few months. CAMS plays a crucial role in allowing us to access the combined Contact/Occupational databases of almost 6,000 deidentified patch test results, which provides the basis for many of our publications.
We are currently making plans for a Thai dermatologist, to train with us for 2 years commencing from early September 2010, Dr Suwimon Pootongkam (known as Jan). We have also welcomed an undergraduate occupational health and safety student from RMIT, Janine Tickle, who is doing a project with us over the next 3-4 months.
New publications available
ODREC have recently worked in collaboration with the Office of the Australian Safety and Compensation Council (OASCC) on a Skin Exposure Surveillance project. This was a pilot project which aimed to report on the extent of certain potentially hazardous exposures in a selection of Australian workplaces.
A copy of this report is available at www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
Subsequently, the questions we developed for the Skin Exposure Surveillance project were used as part of the survey for the National Hazard Exposure Worker Surveillance (NHEWS) Survey. The purpose of this survey was to collect hazard exposure information that can assist policy makers in developing programs to assist in preventing occupational disease. Areas of focus of this survey included occupational cancer, respiratory disease; noise induced hearing loss, musculoskeletal disorders, mental disorders, cardiovascular disease, infection disease, and contact dermatitis.
Survey results available at www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
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Interesting findings from our clinic
Basic Red 46: Identification of a new cause of foot dermatitis in VictoriaIn 2004, our group reported on a new cause of foot dermatitis identified in Melbourne, from basic Red 46, a dye in dark coloured acrylic-nylon blend inexpensive work socks. Unfortunately, such socks are still available and we still continue to see cases of this preventable problem.
Opie J, Lee A, Frown K, Fewings J, Nixon R. Foot dermatitis caused by basic red 46 in acrylic-blend socks. Contact Dermatitis 2004; 49: 297-303.
Example of allergic contact dermatitis caused by Basic Red 46
People made allergic to hair dye following use of a 'henna' or temporary tattoo-travellers beware!
We have seen a variety of patients who have developed severe allergies to hair dye, following a temporary tattoo, which they believed contained henna. In fact para-phenylenediamine was used, to which they became allergic. These people cannot subsequently tolerate exposure to permanent hair dyes (containing para-phenylenediamine) used on their scalp or in eyelid or eyebrow tinting. This is an absolute disaster for hairdressers, or those wishing to become hairdressers.
We would caution against the use of these tattoos, especially where the ingredients of the temporary tattoo cannot be ascertained. This phenomenon has been observed around the world, although many of our cases have had their tattoos performed in Bali.
Saunders H, O'Brien T, Nixon R. Textile dye allergic contact dermatitis,following paraphenylenediamine sensitisation from a temporary tattoo. Australas J Dermatol 2004; 45:229-31
A new severity scale for occupational dermatitis of the hands
Our group has published a new severity scale, based both on clinical parameters and functioning, for use in assessment of occupational contact dermatitis of the hands.
Curr N, Dharmage S, , Keegel T, Lee A, Saunders H, Nixon R. The validity and reliability of the occupational contact dermatitis disease severity index. Contact Dermatitis 2008; 59: 157-164.
Occupational contact urticaria
We have recently analysed our cases of this condition, which is so far the largest published series to date.
Williams JDL, Lee A, Matheson M, Frown K, Noonan A, Nixon. Occupational contact urticaria: Australian data. Brit J Dermatol 2008; 159: 125-131.
Epidemiology of occupational contact dermatitis
We have recently published a review article looking at data worldwide.
Keegel T, Moyle M. Dharmage S, Frowen K, Nixon R. The epidemiology of occupational contact dermatitis (1990-2007): a systematic review. Int J Dermatol 2009; 48: 571-578.
Persistent post-occupational dermatitis
Dr Leon Wall from Western Australia coined the term 'persistent post-occupational dermatitis' in 1991, to describe some 10-15% of patients who attended his clinic, whose skin did not get better, despite avoiding causative allergens and irritants. Our group reported a case series of such patients in 2004, and proposed recommendations on the definition of criteria used for occupational dermatitis.
Sajjachareonpong P, Cahill J, Keegel T, Saunders H, Nixon R. Persistent post-occupational dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 2004; 51: 278-83.
Occupational dermatitis causing flares of atopic eczema
This is another cases series, where we describe a series of patients with occupational contact dermatitis without a rash on their body, who then experience a flare of what appears to be widespread atopic eczema, but which appeared in the context of occupational dermatitis.
Cahiil J, Williams J, Nixon R. Occupational autoeczematisation, or atopic eczema precipitated by occupational contact dermatitis? Contact Dermatitis 2006; 22007; 56:21-26.