coal fly ash irritant-induced asthma

I have a patient who has asthma and who reports that it developed after heavy exposure to fly ash from coal in a power station. Fly ash may have been contaminated with unspecified agents, patient unsure. No prior history of asthma, day of exposure 2-3 hours very dusty - could not see accross the workplace, next day "burning lungs" and cough, progressively worse over following days with tight chest. Asthma diagnosed some months later. As far as I can see no literature on fly ash induced asthma, but convincing history. Does any one have experience of a similar case? Thanks Hauser R, Elreedy S, Hoppin JA, Christiani DC, Airway obstruction in boilermakers exposed to fuel oil ash. A prospective investigation, Am J Respir Crit Care Med, 1995;152:Pt 1):1478-84, Boswell RT, McCunney RJ, Bronchiolitis obliterans from exposure to incinerator fly ash, J Occup Environ Med, 1995;37:850-855, Hauser R, Elreedy S, Hoppin JA, Christiani DC, Upper airway response in workers exposed to fuel oil ash: nasal lavage analysis, Occup Environ Med, 1995;52:353-358, Cho K, Cho YJ, Shrivastava DK, Kapre SS, Acute lung disease after exposure to fly ash, Chest, 1994;106:309-311, Davison AG, Durham S, Newman Taylor AJ, Asthma caused by pulverised fuel ash, Br Med J, 1986;292:1561-1561,

Occupational Asthma, Specialist, 9/30/2010, 9/30/2010,

There are several relevant referrences on this website. Your case sounds like acute irritant induced asthma, for which there are refewrences. others have described occupational asthma with latency and daily exacerbations with exposure

9/30/2010