[Prognosis of occupational bronchial asthma after change of occupation and elimination of antigen (author's transl)]

Abstract

In order to eliminate the antigen, 168 patients with metal dust allergy made a complete change of occupation, The number of those who were rehabilitated after change of occupation was in inverse proportion to the duration of exposure to the antigen. Subjects with persistent bronchial asthma showed an increase in the complaints which corresponded to the antigen exposure. So as to be able to detect secondary developments deriving from the allergic changes in the mucous membrane, a few parameters were examined after the change of occupation for their relationship to the duration of exposure. Such relationships were found for secondary inflammatory processes in the airways (detection of pathogenic organisms in the sputum, concomitant sinusitis and pleural residues from inflammatory processes). The duration of exposure to the antigen also affects the frequency of persistently increasing bronchospastic irritability after change of occupation.