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
. 2007 Jun;64(6):361-5.
doi: 10.1136/oem.2006.028902. Epub 2006 Nov 27.

Defining and investigating occupational asthma: a consensus approach

H C Francis  1 , C O Prys-Picard, D Fishwick, C Stenton, P S Burge, L M Bradshaw, J G Ayres, S M Campbell, R McL Niven
Affiliations

Defining and investigating occupational asthma: a consensus approach

H C Francis et al. Occup Environ Med. 2007 Jun.

Abstract

Background: At present there is no internationally agreed definition of occupational asthma and there is a lack of guidance regarding the resources that should be readily available to physicians running specialist occupational asthma services.

Aims: To agree a working definition of occupational asthma and to develop a framework of resources necessary to run a specialist occupational asthma clinic.

Method: A modified RAND appropriateness method was used to gain a consensus of opinion from an expert panel of clinicians running specialist occupational asthma clinics in the UK.

Results: Consensus was reached over 10 terms defining occupational asthma including: occupational asthma is defined as asthma induced by exposure in the working environment to airborne dusts vapours or fumes, with or without pre-existing asthma; occupational asthma encompasses the terms "sensitiser-induced asthma" and "acute irritant-induced asthma" (reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS)); acute irritant-induced asthma is a type of occupational asthma where there is no latency and no immunological sensitisation and should only be used when a single high exposure has occurred; and the term "work-related asthma" can be used to include occupational asthma, acute irritant-induced asthma (RADS) and aggravation of pre-existing asthma. Disagreement arose on whether low dose irritant-induced asthma existed, but the panel agreed that if it did exist they would include it in the definition of "work-related asthma". The panel agreed on a set of 18 resources which should be available to a specialist occupational asthma service. These included pre-bronchodilator FEV1 and FVC (% predicted); peak flow monitoring (and plotting of results, OASYS II analysis); non-specific provocation challenge in the laboratory and specific IgE to a wide variety of occupational agents.

Conclusion: It is hoped that the outcome of this process will improve uniformity of definition and investigation of occupational asthma across the UK.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None.

Comment in

References

    1. Nicholson P J, Cullinan P, Newman‐Taylor et al Evidence based guidelines for the prevention, identification, and management of occupational asthma. Occup Environ Med 200562290–299. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Brooks S M. Occupational asthma. In: Weiss EB, Seagal MS, Stein M, eds. Bronchial asthma. Brown and Cie. Boston: Little, 1985461–469.
    1. Sheppard D. Occupational asthma and byssinosis. In: Murray JF, Nadel JA, eds. Textbook of respiratory medicine. Philadelphia: Saunders, 19881593–1605.
    1. Parkes W R.Occupational lung disorders. London: Butterworths, 1982415–453.
    1. Newman‐Taylor A J. Occupational asthma. Thorax 198035241–245. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types