Occupational risk factors associated with work-exacerbated asthma in Quebec

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bégin D ; Boulet L-P ; Camus M ; Forget A ; Gérin M ; Lemiere C
• Description:
  BACKGROUND: There is limited information regarding the occupational exposures of subjects with a diagnosis of work-exacerbated asthma (WEA). OBJECTIVES: To: (1) identify potential specific occupational, chemical, biological and physical agents associated with incident cases of WEA and (2) compare these agents with occupational exposures of occupational asthma (OA) and non-work-related asthma (NWRA) cases. METHODS: Subjects were workers with work-related asthma (WRA) or NWRA referred between 2005 and 2008 to two Quebec clinics specialised in the field of WRA. Specific inhalation challenges were performed to differentiate OA from WEA. Work exposures were assessed using a detailed occupational questionnaire. Exposures to 41 chemical and biological agents were coded in a semiquantitative way according to a combination of indices for concentration in workplace air, frequency and confidence of exposure by an occupational hygienist expert in occupational exposure coding. This expert was blind to the medical status of WEA, OA or NWRA. Five physical agents were coded on a yes/no scale. RESULTS: 153 subjects were enrolled (53 WEA, 67 OA and 33 NWRA). WEA cases were significantly more exposed to ammonia, engine exhaust fumes, silica, mineral fibres, aerosol propellants and solvents, and significantly less exposed to animal derived dust and enzymes than were OA cases. Exposure to physical conditions did not differ between WEA and OA. CONCLUSIONS: Exposures associated with WEA differ from those associated with OA in this study. A proportion of subjects with WEA may suffer from low-dose irritant asthma, which remains a hypothesis to be tested. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Asthma Asthma, Occupational Biological Products Chemistry Dust Enzymes Inhalation Exposure Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory Tract Diseases Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Silicon Dioxide Solvents Surveys And Questionnaires Vehicle Emissions Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Ammonium-compounds Biological-agents Bronchial-asthma Chemical-properties Diesel-exhausts Dust-exposure Dusts Employee-exposure Health-surveys Inhalants Man-made-mineral-fibers Mineral-dusts Occupational-exposure Physical-properties Questionnaires Respiratory-system-disorders Risk-factors Silica-dusts Work-environment

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• ISSN:
  1351-0711
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  69
• Issue:
  12
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20042088
• Citation:
  Occup Environ Med 2012 Dec; 69(12):901-907
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr Catherine Lemiere, Department of Chest Medicine, Sacré-Coeur Hospital, 5400 Gouin West, Montreal, Quebec H4J 1C5, Canada
• Email:
  catherine.lemiere@umontreal.ca
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2013
• Performing Organization:
  Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050901
• Source Full Name:
  Occupational and Environmental Medicine
• End Date:
  20110831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:1407dfb961269a529aefe38bef90674f3a9054dd5c1a853bb300570e1aff9a923a2d9883442081badbf940f20c5e982cfee6369e5ce21aafc3a1da6d620e0a7b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/194423/cdc_194423_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 134.81 KB ]