Is occupational rhinitis a risk factor for developing occupational asthma?


** 2+ Rhino-conjunctivitis is more likely to appear before the onset of IgE associated occupational asthma.

Evidence

Cortona G, Pisati G, Dellabianca A et al , Allergopatie professionali respiratorie: l'esperienza delle Unita Operative Ospedaliere di Medicina del Lavoro in Lombardia dal 1990 al 1998. [Respiratory occupational allergies: the experience of the Hospital Operative Unit of Occupational Medicine in Lombardy from 1990 to 1998] , G Ital Med Lav Ergon , 2001 ; 23 : 64-70

Cullinan P, Cook A, Gordon S, Nieuwenhuijsen MJ, Tee RD, Venables KM, McDonald JC, Newman Taylor AJ , Allergen exposure, atopy and smoking as determinants of allergy to rats in a cohort of laboratory employees , Eur Respir J , 1999 ; 13 : 1139-1143

Gautrin D, Ghezzo H, InfanteRivard C et al , Natural history of sensitisation, symptoms and occupational diseases in apprentices exposed to laboratory animals , Eur Respir J , 2001 ; 17 : 904-908

Gautrin D, InfanteRivard C, Ghezzo H et al , Incidence and host determinants of probable occupational asthma in apprentices exposed to laboratory animals , Am J Respir Crit Care Med , 2001 ; 163 : 899-904

Grammer LC, Ditto AM, Tripathi A et al , Prevalence and onset of rhinitis and conjunctivitis in subjects with occupational asthma caused by trimellitic anhydride (TMA) , J Occup Environ Med , 2002 ; 44 : 1179-1181

Karjalainen A, Martikainen R, Klaukka T et al , Risk of asthma among Finnish patients with occupational rhinitis , Chest , 2003 ; 123 : 283-288

Malo JL, Lemiere C, Desjardins A et al , Prevalence and intensity of rhinoconjunctivitis in subjects with occupational asthma , Eur Respir J , 1997 ; 10 : 1513-1515

Principal reccomendations

This statement supports the following principal reccomendations

View the principal reccomendations

Health practitioners should provide more frequent health surveillance to workers who develop rhinitis when working with agents known to cause occupational asthma and ensure that the workplace and working practices are investigated to identify potential causes and implement corrective actions.

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