Multiple chemical sensitivities syndrome: toward a working case definition

Details

• Personal Author:
  Abbey H ; Curbow B ; Davidoff LL ; Nethercott JR
• Description:
  Major clinical diagnostic criteria for multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome were identified via a cross sectional survey of medical practitioners who had familiarity with the condition. The questionnaire, which listed 15 diagnostic criteria that had been proposed by groups interested in the syndrome, was sent to 148 physicians. The five criteria that were selected as major for diagnosing the syndrome by more than 50% of the 89 survey respondents included: the symptoms were reproducible with exposure; the condition was chronic; low levels of exposure resulted in manifestations of the syndrome; the symptoms resolved with removal of incitants; and the responses occurred to multiple, chemically unrelated substances. Odds ratios were calculated for comparisons among allergists, occupational physicians, and clinical ecologists. The majority of respondents in every physician group felt that chemical sensitivity should be accepted as a diagnostic category. The authors propose that the five major criteria accepted by the majority of survey respondents should be used provisionally as the basis for categorizing cases thought to involve multiple chemical sensitivity syndrome. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Diagnosis Environmental Exposure Environmental Monitoring Environmental Pollution Health Personnel Hypersensitivity Occupational Health Safety Staff Development
• Keywords:
  Allergic-disorders Chemical-hypersensitivity Clinical-diagnosis Diagnostic-techniques Environmental-hazards Environmental-health-monitoring Immune-system-disorders Medical-personnel NIOSH-Grant NIOSH-Publication Training

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• ISSN:
  0003-9896
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Maryland ; OSHA Region 3
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  19-26
• Volume:
  48
• Issue:
  1
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00214046
• Citation:
  Arch Environ Health 1993 Jan; 48(1):19-26
• Contact Point Address:
  Environmental Health Sciences Johns Hopkins University 615 North Wolfe Street Baltimore, MD 21205
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1993
• Performing Organization:
  Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  19770930
• Source Full Name:
  Archives of Environmental Health
• End Date:
  19920630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:7e367c1a6a3a00535e5f336b55b5311e40df2a810b00c7e5ef3ccc3de3fcbb110a647e64d7fb15dc6c2f2b2911706ec993cea3836b5a22273ba6cb5bfa860b4d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205158/cdc_205158_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 752.62 KB ]