Oasys analysis validated for night and afternoon shiftwork

The ABC (area between curves) analyses in the Oasys program were initially validated for morning or day shift work only. The current papers compares analyses between different shifts in shift-workers. The same cut-offs developed in day-shift workers for significant work effect were validated for afternoon and night shifts. The sensitivity for an ABC >15litres/min/hour was 72% for afternoon shifts and 83% for night shifts. Specificity was 98% for afternoon shifts and 96% for night shifts using symptomatic controls some of whom had COPD or rhinitis rather than asthma. Mean cross-shift changes were greater for afternoon shift in both controls and those with occupational asthma reflecting the expected effects of diurnal variation.

References

	Moore VC, Jaakkola MS, Burge CBSG, Pantin CFA, Robertson AS, Burge PS, Shift work effects on serial PEF measurements for occupational asthma, Occup Med, 2012;62:525-532,

Comments