Irritant Contact Dermatitis (ICD) | Allergic Contact Dermatitis (ACD) | |
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Clinical Manifestation |
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Pathophysiology |
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Causative Agents |
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Treatments |
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Diagnostic |
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PPE, personal protective equipment; ABHR, alcohol-based hand rub.
↵* Decrescendo reactions mean that after 2 days (removal of patch tests), there is a slight reaction that disappears the next 2 days. Crescendo reactions mean that there is no or slight reaction at day 2 (removal of patches) followed by an increased reaction the next 2 days. This difference is why we need 2 readings to distinguish irritants from allergic reactions, which is particularly important in atopic individuals with a high risk for irritant reactions. Most patients with irritant hand dermatitis have an atopic predisposition.