A prospective randomized controlled trial of Psychodermatology on the efficacy of Rilastil Difesa Sterile® cream in the hand eczema of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Hand eczema is one of the most frequent dermatological diseases, with an incidence increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact on life quality is considerable, giving rise to the need for a psycho-dermatological approach. This is a Randomized Control Trial (RCT) evaluating, either by the dermatological or psychological point of view, the effectiveness of an emollient and rehydrating topical product (Rilastil Difesa Sterile® cream) versus a standard treatment (i.e. moisturizing basic cream) in a group of 51 healthcare workers suffering from hand eczema during the COVID-19 pandemic. The enrolled subjects were randomized into a treatment or a control arm, treated for 8 weeks, and monitored through a clinical score (HECSI) and questionnaires evaluating the impact of the pathology and treatment on quality of life (DLQI and QOLHEQ). A psychometric evaluation was performed using the SCL-90 R, OCI-R, and CPDI scales. Our data, despite not reaching the statistical significance, demonstrated that both the clinical and psychological scores decreased mostly in patients treated with Rilastil Difesa Sterile^® cream when compared to those treated with simple topical emollients. Moreover, we observed a high level of psychic suffering in dermatological patients and a parallel change in dermatological and psychological indicators, thus confirming their connection.

Keywords:

• Hand eczema
• healthcare workers
• COVID-19 pandemic
• Psychodermatology

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank the participants to the study. They also thank Ganassini Corporate for providing the product (Rilastil Difesa Sterile) evaluated in the study.

Disclosure statement statements

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

The data will be available from the authors upon request.

Correction Statement

This article has been corrected with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by Istituto Ganassini, Milano (Italy).