HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:
Guest Access | Sign In via User Name/Password

This Article Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in ISI Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Personal Article Archive Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via ISI Web of Science (17) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chatkin, J. M. Articles by Broder, I. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Chatkin, J. M. Articles by Broder, I.

The Outcome of Asthma Related to Workplace Irritant Exposures^*

A Comparison of Irritant-Induced Asthma and Irritant Aggravation of Asthma

^* From the School of Medicine (Dr. Chatkin), Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) Porto Alegre, R. S., Brazil; the Gage Occupational and Environmental Health Unit, Department of Medicine (Drs. Tarlo and Broder), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the Ontario Ministry of Labor (Dr. Liss), Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and the Department of Medicine, University of West Virginia (Dr. Banks), Morgantown, WV.

Correspondence to: Susan M. Tarlo, MBBS, FCCP, Gage Occupational and Environmental Health Unit, 223 College St, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 1R4 Canada; e-mail: susan.tarlo{at}utoronto.ca

Study objectives: (1) To characterize workers’ compensation claims accepted on the basis of new-onset asthma associated with accidental high respiratory irritant exposure at work; (2) to compare the frequency, characteristics, and outcomes in this group of workers to workers who were compensated for an exacerbation of preexisting asthma associated with accidental high respiratory irritant exposure at work.

Design: A retrospective review was performed of 469 asthma claims accepted by the Ontario Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) between 1984 and 1988. Among these, claims attributed to an accidental high respiratory irritant exposure at work were classified into two groups: one group with reported preexisting asthma prior to the exposure (accidental aggravation of asthma [AAA]) and another group with no previous history of asthma (irritant-induced asthma [IIA]).

Results: Of the 469 claims, 89 subjects (19%) had symptoms related to accidental high respiratory irritant exposure in the workplace; of these, 68 subjects (76%) had AAA, 12 subjects (13%) had IIA, and 9 subjects (10%) had possible IIA but were excluded from the analysis because of insufficient data. Those with IIA had a longer duration of work-attributed symptoms (mean, 219 ± 208 days) than the subjects with AAA (mean, 32 ± 38 days; p < 0.001). Nine subjects (75%) with IIA were no longer in the same work environment, while 47 subjects in the AAA group (71%) were still in the same work environment (p < 0.001). The most common triggering agent for subjects with IIA was an isocyanate spill; for those with AAA, the most common triggering agent was paint.

Conclusions: The WCB-accepted claims related to accidental, high respiratory irritant exposure at work are more commonly assigned to the category of AAA than to IIA. IIA patients in this claimant group had a longer mean duration of work-attributed respiratory symptoms, perhaps due to a need for a larger (and thus less common) irritant exposure to induce asthma in previously normal subjects.

Key Words: occupational asthma • reactive airways dysfunction syndrome • workplace exposures

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. S. Santos, H. Jung, J. Peyrovi, W. Lou, G. M. Liss, and S. M. Tarlo Occupational Asthma and Work-Exacerbated Asthma: Factors Associated With Time to Diagnostic Steps Chest, June 1, 2007; 131(6): 1768 - 1775. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P K Henneberger, S J Derk, S R Sama, R J Boylstein, C D Hoffman, P A Preusse, R A Rosiello, and D K Milton The frequency of workplace exacerbation among health maintenance organisation members with asthma Occup. Environ. Med., August 1, 2006; 63(8): 551 - 557. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. E. Mapp, P. Boschetto, P. Maestrelli, and L. M. Fabbri Occupational Asthma Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., August 1, 2005; 172(3): 280 - 305. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				P J Nicholson, P Cullinan, A J Newman Taylor, P S Burge, and C Boyle Evidence based guidelines for the prevention, identification, and management of occupational asthma Occup. Environ. Med., May 1, 2005; 62(5): 290 - 299. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Basagana, J. Sunyer, M. Kogevinas, J.-P. Zock, E. Duran-Tauleria, D. Jarvis, P. Burney, and J. M. Anto Socioeconomic Status and Asthma Prevalence in Young Adults: The European Community Respiratory Health Survey Am. J. Epidemiol., July 15, 2004; 160(2): 178 - 188. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S K Goe, P K Henneberger, M J Reilly, K D Rosenman, D P Schill, D Valiante, J Flattery, R Harrison, F Reinisch, C Tumpowsky, et al. A descriptive study of work aggravated asthma Occup. Environ. Med., June 1, 2004; 61(6): 512 - 517. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				O. Vandenplas and J-L. Malo Definitions and types of work-related asthma: a nosological approach Eur. Respir. J., April 1, 2003; 21(4): 706 - 712. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]