Research Plus

Occupational asthma consensus

Consensus guidelines on the diagnosis and management of work-related asthma by the American College of Chest Physicians highlight the importance of individual diagnoses in triggering a workplace evaluation to prevent other cases and, in the case of respiratory sensitisers, the need to implement secondary measures, including medical surveillance. A lack of randomised controlled trials was noted and the evidence is largely drawn from clinical diagnoses rather than cross-sectional or longitudinal cohort studies of exposed workers. There are 12 consensus statements, including that individuals should be screened for possible occupational or work-exacerbated asthma for all new-onset or worsening asthma cases.

Chest 2008; 134; 1S–41S. http://journal.publications.chestnet.org/article.aspx?articleid=1044851&issueno=3_suppl

Tags asthma evidence based practice

Occupational Health at Work August/September 2009 (vol. 06/2) pp40