Usual exposure to irritants causes occupational asthma with latency indistinguishable from sensitisation-induced OA

A previously fit lecturer teaching bricklaying had irritant-induced OA with latency without unusual exposures with an immediate asthmatic reaction following exposure to a sand/lime mixture (pH 8). The Shield database identified 127 workers with likely irritant-induced asthma with latency and 1646 with hypersensitivity-induced OA. The two groups were indistinguishable in terms of pre-existing asthma, atopy, age, latent interval, non-specific reactivity and smoking. Irritant exposure is a cause of OA with latency currently clinically indistinguishable from OA due to sensitization.

References

	Burge PS, Moore VC, Robertson AS, Sensitization and irritant-induced occupational asthma with latency are clinically indistinguishable, Occup Med, 2012;62:129-133,

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