Reference

BOHRF Original Authors' Main Conclusions

The original authors' main conclusions are taken from Abstract, Results and Discussion. They are decided upon by the authors of the BOHRF occupational asthma guidelines and form part of the guidelines.

Study I comprised 50 selected cases (25 had work-related symptoms and 25 had not). Prick tests and RAST investigations with different factory dust extracts were performed. Study II was a cross-sectional study of 129 workers who were prick-tested with one factory dust extract and with castor bean (CB). Study 1: 12 were atopics: 9 (40%) of sensitised workers and 3 (10%) of the non-sensitised. Among the raw coffee workers, 14 were sensitised to coffee or castor bean (67%) and among the other workers 8 were probably sensitised (27%). These findings support the statement that the risk of sensitisation is greater the stronger the exposure. Study 2: Of the 28 workers with positive skin prick tests, 22 (79%) were smokers while of the 101 with negative skin prick tests 48 (47%) were smokers. The total frequency of sensitisation was 31% among smokers and 10% among non-smokers. The difference was greater the longer the duration of employment. Predisposing factors to developing sensitisation were atopic status, degree and length of exposure, and smoking habits.

BOHRF Associated Evidence Statements

The BOHRF occupational asthma guidelines state that this reference is associated with the following evidence statements