Do Work-Exacerbated Asthma and Occupational Asthma Differ?

Details

• Personal Author:
  Blais L ; Boulet L-P ; Chaboillez S ; Forget A ; Lemiere C ; Villeneuve H
• Description:
  Background: Occupational asthma and work exacerbated asthma are often difficult to differentiate in clinical practice. Aim: To compare the clinical, functional and inflammatory characteristics of workers with occupational asthma (OA) work-exacerbated asthma (WEA) and asthmatic subjects with non-work-related asthma as well as their health care utilization. Methods: Prospective cohort study of all asthmatic workers referred to 2 Canadian tertiary centers between 2005 and 2008 for work-related asthma, as well as non-work-related asthmatic controls assessed for the first time in the same clinics. Subjects with work-related asthma underwent specific inhalation challenges in order to differentiate OA from WEA. Demographic characteristics, asthma control (as measured by the Asthma Control Questinnaire), functional characteristics (FEV 1, PC20), airway inflammation (Sputum eosinophils, neutrophils) as well as health care utilization (outpatients visits, emergency visits and hospitalization were compared between the three groups. Results: Sixty-six workers with OA, 54 with WEA and 35 subjects with non-work-related asthma were enrolled. Their clinical and functional characteristics are presented in Table 1. Workers with OA had a higher sputum eosinophil count (4.4%) when at work compared with those removed from work (0.9%}, p<0.005. In contrast, subjects with WEA did not show any difference in sputum eosinophils between periods at and away from work. Workers with OA and WEA also had a similar health care utilization during the year preceding the diagnosis of work- related asthma. In contrast, subjects with non-work related asthma required less outpatient visits and less visits to the emergency in the year prior to their first visit to our centers, in spite of a similar severity of asthma. Conclusion. Subjects with OA and WEA have similar clinical and functional characteristics. However, work exposure was associated with eosinophilic inflammation only in subjects with OA. In spite of a similar asthma severity, work-related asthma was associated with a significant increase in health care utilization compared with non-work related asthma. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Asthma Asthma, Occupational Cohort Studies Immune System Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Respiratory System Respiratory Tract Diseases Safety
• Keywords:
  Cohort Studies Health Care Immune Reaction Occupational Asthma Occupational Exposure Respiratory Diseases
• ISSN:
  1073-449X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Abstract or Summary
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  183
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20059297
• Citation:
  Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2011 May; 183(Meeting Abstracts):A1173
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Performing Organization:
  Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20050901
• Source Full Name:
  American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
• Supplement:
  Meeting Abstracts
• End Date:
  20110831
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ede60a13a2604f69ba08f172d27c06ff370b66a6aa3a180854d2c3c8b05db60aec8715f8085dd866777bc539f094d02162aaea87e5224f582f992f6ebf45ca04
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/223572/cdc_223572_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 260.93 KB ]