Archives of Dermatology · 1979 · 134 citations · 0 references
AsthmaStudy PopulationAllergy MedicineSkin AllergyAdult VolunteersDermatologyDrug AllergyDrug ResistanceDrug HypersensitivityClinical EpidemiologyContact DermatitisAnaphylaxisToxicologyMetal AllergiesNickel SensitivityInfection ControlAntimicrobial ResistanceAllergic Contact HypersensitivityHealth SciencesAllergyClinical DermatologyDermatopathologySkin TestingAntibioticsMedicine
The study recruited 1,158 paid adult volunteers and collected prior exposure histories before performing patch testing for nickel, neomycin, ethylenediamine, and benzocaine. Positive patch test prevalence was 5.8 % for nickel, 1.1 % for neomycin, 0.43 % for ethylenediamine, and 0.17 % for benzocaine, with nickel sensitivity higher in women and linked to ear piercing and jewelry rash, and neomycin‑positive subjects more often had recent neomycin use. Published in Arch Dermatol 115:959‑962 (1979).
A study population of 1,158 paid adult volunteers was obtained. Prior to patch testing, a history of previous exposure to four allergens also was obtained. Prevalence of positive reactions to patch tests was nickel, 5.8%; neomycin, 1.1%; ethylenediamine, 0.43%; and benzocaine, 0.17%. Nine percent of women reacted to nickel compared with 0.9% of men. There was a strong correlation of nickel sensitivity with a history of pierced ears, earlobe rash, and jewelry rash. Ten of 12 neomycin-positive subjects used neomycin for one week or longer on an inflammatory dermatosis, compared with six of 36 age-, race-, and sex-matched controls. By history, 85% were exposed to benzocaine, 48% to neomycin, and 15% to Mycolog (ethylenediamine). Of 127 patients referred to clinics for evaluation of contact dermatitis, 11% yielded positive tests to nickel, 6.3% to neomycin, 3.1% to ethylenediamine, and 1.6% to benzocaine. Data obtained from testing contact dermatitis patients are not applicable to the general population. (<i>Arch Dermatol</i>115:959-962, 1979)