PMID- 9510668
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19980414
LR  - 20161020
IS  - 1122-0643 (Print)
IS  - 1122-0643 (Linking)
VI  - 52
IP  - 5
DP  - 1997 Oct
TI  - Clinical evaluation of occupational asthma.
PG  - 469-73
AB  - In this paper, the procedures in the assessment of occupational asthma (OA) are 
      discussed. Only the most common subtype of OA is considered here, i.e. that in 
      which symptoms appear after a latency period from the beginning of exposure. OA 
      is characterized by variable bronchial obstruction, and variable bronchial 
      hyperresponsiveness caused by specific agents inhaled at work. The clinical 
      investigation of OA is a stepwise approach which includes a comprehensive history 
      together with physiological and immunological studies. The first step is to 
      identify symptoms and relate exposure at work to the presence in the workplace of 
      substances known to provoke OA. The presence of bronchial asthma must then be 
      confirmed; this is achieved by assessing the reversibility of bronchial 
      obstruction and/or the presence of nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity and/or 
      the presence of significant peak expiratory flow (PEF) variability. The 
      relationship between work and symptoms may first be assessed by means of serial 
      measurements of PEF and of nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity during periods 
      at work and away from work. When the suspected agent is a high-molecular-weight 
      (HMW) or a low-molecular-weight (LMW) agent known to act through an 
      immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated mechanism, skin tests and/or research for 
      specific IgE should be performed. In case of sensitization, where a relationship 
      between asthma and work has been demonstrated by means of serial monitoring of 
      PEF, a diagnosis can be made. If the suspected agent is a LMW agent, a specific 
      inhalation challenge test in the laboratory or at the workplace is necessary.
FAU - Moscato, G
AU  - Moscato G
AD  - Medical Center of Pavia, Dept of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Specialization 
      School of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, University of Pavia, Italy.
FAU - Perfetti, L
AU  - Perfetti L
FAU - Galdi, E
AU  - Galdi E
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PT  - Review
PL  - Italy
TA  - Monaldi Arch Chest Dis
JT  - Monaldi archives for chest disease = Archivio Monaldi per le malattie del torace
JID - 9307314
SB  - IM
MH  - Asthma/*diagnosis/etiology/physiopathology
MH  - Bronchial Hyperreactivity/diagnosis/physiopathology
MH  - Humans
MH  - Medical History Taking
MH  - Occupational Diseases/*diagnosis/physiopathology
MH  - Respiratory Function Tests
RF  - 36
EDAT- 1998/03/25 00:00
MHDA- 1998/03/25 00:01
CRDT- 1998/03/25 00:00
PHST- 1998/03/25 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1998/03/25 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1998/03/25 00:00 [entrez]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Monaldi Arch Chest Dis. 1997 Oct;52(5):469-73.