Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2002 Apr 16;166(8):1049-55.

Identifying and managing adverse environmental health effects: 1. Taking an exposure history

Lynn Marshall  1 , Erica Weir, Alan Abelsohn, Margaret D Sanborn
Affiliations
Review

Identifying and managing adverse environmental health effects: 1. Taking an exposure history

Lynn Marshall et al. CMAJ. .

Abstract

Public concern and awareness are growing about adverse health effects of exposure to environmental contaminants. Frequently patients present to their physicians with questions or concerns about exposures to such substances as lead, air pollutants and pesticides. Most primary care physicians lack training in and knowledge of the clinical recognition, management and avoidance of such exposures. We have found that it can be helpful to use the CH2OPD2 mnemonic (Community, Home, Hobbies, Occupation, Personal habits, Diet and Drugs) as a tool to identify a patient's history of exposures to potentially toxic environmental contaminants. In this article we discuss why it is important to take a patient's environmental exposure history, when and how to take the history, and how to interpret the findings. Possible routes of exposure and common sources of potentially toxic biological, physical and chemical substances are identified. A case of sick-building syndrome is used to illustrate the use of the mnemonic.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

References

    1. Risk assessment on diisononyl phthalate in vinyl children's products. Ottawa: Consumer Products Division, Product Saftey Bureau, Environmental Health Directorate, Health Protection Branch, Health Canada; 1998. Available: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/protection/warnings/1998/risk.html (accessed 2002 Mar 18).
    1. Sanborn MD, Scott EA. Environmental health concerns in urban and rural family practice. Can Fam Physician 1998;44:1466-72. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Reidel D, Tremblay N, Tompkins E. State of knowledge report on environmental contaminants and human health in the Great Lakes Basin. Ottawa: Health Canada; 1997.
    1. Eighth biennial report under the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1978 to the governments of the United States and Canada and the state and provincial governments of the Great Lakes Basin. International Joint Commission; 1996. Available: www.ijc.org/comm/8bre.html (accessed 2002 Mar 14).
    1. Sala M, Sunyer J, Otero R, Santiago-Silva M, Camps C, Grimalt J. Organochlorine in the serum of inhabitants living near an electrochemical factory. Occup Environ med 1999;56(3):152-8. - PMC - PubMed

Substances