Abstract
Occupational asthma is believed to be responsible for up to 15% of all new cases of asthma in the United States. Evaluation of patients with asthma, therefore, requires a careful and complete work history to identify or exclude potential causes or triggers for asthma. It is important for the clinician to have a strong understanding of how to evaluate and manage work-related asthma induced by both high and low molecular weight agents. The following clinical cases are designed to provide a template of how patients suspected with occupational asthma should be evaluated in order to definitively confirm this diagnosis.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Bernstein JA, Kraut A, Bernstein DI, Warrington R, Bolin T, Warren CPW, Bernstein IL (1993) Occupational asthma induced by inhaled egg lysozyme. Chest 103, 532–5.
Langeland T (1983) A clinical and immunological study of allergy to hen’s egg white: I. A clinical study of egg allergy. Clin Allergy 13, 381–2.
Smith AB, Bernstein DI, Aw TC, Gallagher JS, London M, Kopp S, et al (1987) Occupational asthma from inhaled egg protein. Am J Ind Med 12, 205–18.
Smith AB, Bernstein DI, London MA, et al (1990) Evaluation of occupational asthma from airborne egg protein exposure in multiple settings. Chest 98, 398–404.
Sarlo K, Clark ED, Bernstein DI (1990) ELISA for human IgE antibody to Subtilisin A (alcolase): correlation with RAST and skin test results with occupationally exposed individuals. J Allergy Clin Immunol 86, 393–9.
Pepys J, Hutchcroft BJ (1975) Bronchoprovocation tests and etiologic diagnosis and analysis of asthma. Am Rev Respir Dis 112, 829–59.
Bernstein DI, Smith AB, Moller DR, et al (1987) Clinical and immunologic studies among egg processing workers with occupational asthma. J Allergy Clin Immunol 80, 791–7.
Bernstein JA, Stauder T, Bernstein DI, Bernstein IL (1994) A combined respiratory and cutaneous hypersensitivity syndrome induced by work exposure to quaternary amines. J Allergy Clin Immunol 94, 257–9.
Hagmar L, Bellander T, Eng M, et al (1982) Piperazine-induced occupational asthma. J Occup Med 24, 193–7.
Malo JL, Bernstein IL (1993) Other chemical substances causing occupational asthma. In: Bernstein IL, Malo JL, Yeung MC, Bernstein DI, eds. Asthma in the Workplace. New York, NY: Marcell Dekker, pp. 481–502.
Zhang YG, Wright WJ, Tam WK, et al (1990) Effect of inhaled preservatives on asthmatic subjects. II. Benzalkonium chloride. Am Rev Respir Dis 141, 1405–8.
Sly RM (1990) Effect of inhaled preservatives on asthmatic subjects. II. Benzalkonium chloride. Am Rev Respir Dis 142, 1466–7.
Rumchev K, Spickett J, Bulsara M, et al (2004) Association of domestic exposure to volatile organic compounds with asthma in young children. Thorax 59, 746–51.
Pappas GP, Herbert RJ, Henderson W, et al (2000) The respiratory effects of volatile organic compounds. Int J Occup Environ Health 6, 1–8.
Pechter E, Davis LK, Tumpowsky C, et al (2005) Work-related asthma among health care workers: surveillance data from California, Massachusetts, Michigan, and New Jersey, 1993–1997. Am J Ind Med 47, 265–75.
Rosenman KD, Reilly MJ, Schill DP, et al (2003) Cleaning products and work-related asthma. J Occup Environ Med 45, 556–63.
Kogevinas M, Anto JM, Sunyer J, et al (1999) Occupational asthma in Europe and other industrialised areas: a population-based study. European Community Respiratory Health Survey Study Group. Lancet 353, 1750–4.
Zock JP, Kogevinas M, Sunyer J, et al (2002) Asthma characteristics in cleaning workers, workers in other risk jobs and office workers. Eur Respir J 20, 679–85.
ACGIH (2002) Threshold Limit Values for Chemical Substances and Physical Agents and Biological Exposures Indices. Cincinnati, OH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists.
Bernstein IL, Bernstein DI, Chan-Yeung M and Malo, J-L (2006). Definition and classification of Asthma in the Workplace In: Bernstein IL, Chan-Yeung M, Malo JL, Bernstein DI, eds. Asthma in the Workplace, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Taylor and Francis, pp. 1–8.
Seta JA, Young RO, Bernstein IL, Bernstein DI (1993) The United States National Exposure Survey (NOES) data base. In: Bernstein IL, Chan-Yeung M, Malo JL, Bernstein DI, eds. Asthma in the Workplace. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker, pp. 627–34.
Bernstein IL, Merget R (2006) Metals In: Bernstein IL, Chan-Yeung M, Malo JL, Bernstein DI, eds. Asthma in the Workplace, 3rd ed. New York, NY: Taylor and Francis, pp. 525–54.
Sorahan T, Harrington JM (2000) Lung cancer in Yorkshire chrome platers, 1972–97. Occup Environ Med 57(6), 385–9.
Sobaszek A, Boulenguez C, Frimat P, et al (2000) Acute respiratory effects of exposure to stainless steel and mild steel welding fumes. J Occup Environ Med 42(9), 923–31.
Bright P, Burge PS, O’Hickey SP, et al (1997) Occupational asthma due to chrome and nickel electroplating. Thorax 52(1), 28–32.
Fernandez-Nieto M, Quirce S, Carnes J, et al (2006) Occupational asthma due to chromium and nickel salts. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 79(6), 483–6.
Novey HS, Habib M, Wells ID (1983) Asthma and IgE antibodies induced by chromium and nickel salts. J Allergy Clin Immunol 72, 407–41.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2009 Humana Press, a part of Springer Science+Business Media, LLC
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Bernstein, J.A., Bernstein, I.L. (2009). Occupational Asthma. In: Mahmoudi, M. (eds) Challenging Cases in Allergy and Immunology. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-443-2_12
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60327-443-2_12
Published:
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ
Print ISBN: 978-1-60327-442-5
Online ISBN: 978-1-60327-443-2
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)