[Preliminary assessment of the effect of disinfectants on skin changes in health service workers].

During a five-year period (1 Jan. 1989 and 31 Oct. 1994) epidermal tests with disinfectants (formalin, sterinol, lysoformin, aldesan, septyl, chloramine, lysol, chlorhexidine) and their components (glutaraldehyd, phenol, hydroquinone) were performed on 322 health service workers examined at the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine due to suspected occupational dermatitis. It was found that 89 (27.6%) subjects examined were oversensitive, at least, to one disinfectant, mostly to formalin, sterinol (benzalkonium bromide), lysoformin and chloramine. Frequent occurrence of allergy to metals (nickel, cobalt, chromium, mercury) was observed in persons oversensitive to disinfectants.