Referrals for Patch Testing
Referrals for patients to attend the Occupational Dermatology clinic are accepted from Dermatologists and workplace health personnel.
Occupational Dermatology Referral Form
Referrals for the general contact dermatitis are accepted from Dermatologists only.
Recommendations before patient is referred for patch testing
Often there can be a wait before a patient can be seen in the Occupational or general contact dermatitis clinic, this wait may be a week or two or sometimes several months. If you require an urgent appointment, please let the clinic booking manager know, and the patient can be placed on the cancellation list. Whilst waiting for an appointment some recommended actions a treating practitioner should recommend for a person with dermatitis may include:
1/ Topical corticosteroids may be needed
Ensure sufficient quantities are prescribed , think about the package size of cortisone cream/ointment , is it enough to cover feet and legs for an extended period of time? Also consider cost of this for the patient.
Ointments are generally preferred to creams.
2/ Recommend a good moisturiser
Recommend a fragrance free cream or ointment (in a tub or tube).
If occlusion of hands is required, suggest cotton gloves rather than vinyl or latex (these can cause sweating)
Apply topical cortisone first, then the moisturiser.
3/ Use mild skin care cleansers
Recommend a fragrance free, mild hand cleanser or soap substitute. Use at home and work (if possible).
4/ Encourage patient to reduce amounts of wet work performed where possible.
Can someone else bath the children or do the dishes?
Can an alcohol based hand rub be used for when the hands are not visibly dirty?
4/ Ensure patient is not using products that contain the preservative Methylisothiazolinone (MI)
Check to see if they are using baby wipes, plus check their moisturiser, shampoo, deodorant, suncreen, hand and body washes, as MI is appearing in many househould products
5/ If wearing rubber or latex gloves – do a RAST blood test checking for latex allergy. If latex allergy is diagnosed, the patient can stop using latex before their patch testing appointment.
Latex allergy can be excluded before patch testing, and is an easy thing to address, and may help the skin to improve if this is the problem.