A comparison of work-exacerbated asthma cases from clinical and epidemiological settings

Details

• Personal Author:
  Henneberger, Paul K. ; Lemière C ; Liang X ; Henneberger, Paul K. ; Lemière C ; Liang X
• Description:
  BACKGROUND: Clinical and epidemiological studies commonly use different case definitions in different settings when investigating work-exacerbated asthma (WEA). These differences are likely to impact characteristics of the resulting WEA cases. OBJECTIVES: To investigate this issue by comparing two groups of WEA cases, one identified using an intensive clinical evaluation and another that fulfilled epidemiological criteria. METHODS: A total of 53 clinical WEA cases had been referred for suspected work-related asthma to two tertiary clinics in Canada, where patients completed tests that confirmed asthma and ruled out asthma caused by work. Forty-seven epidemiological WEA cases were employed asthma patients treated at a health maintenance organization in the United States who completed a questionnaire and spirometry, and fulfilled criteria for WEA based on self-reported, work-related worsening of asthma and relevant workplace exposures as judged by an expert panel. RESULTS: Using different case criteria in different settings resulted in case groups that had a mix of similarities and differences. The clinical WEA cases were more likely to have visited a doctor's office = / >3 times for asthma in the past year (75% versus 11%; P<0.0001), but did not seek more asthma-related emergency or in-patient care, or have lower spirometry values. The two groups differed substantially according to the industries and occupations where the cases worked. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from both types of studies should be considered when measuring the contribution of work to asthma exacerbations, identifying putative agents, and selecting industries and occupations in which to implement screening and surveillance programs. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asthma Asthma, Occupational Case Reports Diagnosis Epidemiology Lung Diseases Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory Function Tests Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety Surveys And Questionnaires Workplace

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• Keywords:
  Asthma Exacerbation Author Keywords: Asthma Bronchial-asthma Case-studies Case Criteria Clinical-diagnosis Clinical-tests Diagnostic-techniques Diagnostic-tests Employee-exposure Health-surveys Industrial-environment Lung-disorders Medical-screening Occupations Pulmonary-system-disorders Questionnaires Respiratory-system-disorders Spirometry Surveillance-programs Work-environment Work-related Asthma

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• ISSN:
  1198-2241
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article ; Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) ; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies ; DRDS - Division of Respiratory Disease Studies
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health ; Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America ; North America
• Pages in Document:
  159-164
• Volume:
  20
• Issue:
  3
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20042748
• Citation:
  Can Resp J 2013 May/Jun; 20(3):159-164
• Contact Point Address:
  Dr. Catherine Lemière, Department of Chest Medicine, Hopital du Sacre-Coeur de Montreal, 5400 Ouest, Montreal, Quebec H4J IC5
• 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:
  Canadian Respiratory Journal
• End Date:
  20110831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:3bf846d596df0a468f8f1c7e0cd7eddb2d8ee03fbd147974fa394e349b4a153ac7a023f3a8cf86fd1a5a7ecc38915a7f37c06115eff225c867845d26da80d2f1
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/194877/cdc_194877_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.69 MB ]