Do pre-placement examinations prevent occupational asthma?


* 3 A previous history of asthma is not significantly associated with occupational asthma.

Evidence

Cockcroft A, Edwards J, McCarthy P et al , Allergy in laboratory animal workers , Lancet , 1981 ; 1 : 827-828

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

Principal reccomendations

This statement supports the following principal reccomendations

View the principal reccomendations

Health practitioners should not use poorly discriminating factors - such as atopy, family or personal history of asthma, cigarette smoking and HLA phenotype - which increase individual susceptibility to exposure as a reason to exclude individuals from employment.

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