Abstract

Background
The British Thoracic Society (BTS) Standards of Care (SoC) Committee produced a standard of care for occupational asthma (OA) in 2008, based on a systematic evidence review performed in 2004 by the British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF).

Methods
BOHRF updated the evidence base from 2004–2009 in 2010.

Results
This article summarises the changes in evidence and is aimed at physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals in primary and secondary care, occupational health and public health and at employers, workers and their health, safety and other representatives.

Conclusions
Various recommendations and evidence ratings have changed in the management of asthma that may have an occupational cause.

Full Text

Comments

The audit tool, against which clinical activity should be measured, is revised as follows. All patients with suspected OA should, as a minimum, have the following clearly documented in their health records. By first visit o Presence or absence of asthma prior to potentially harmful asthmagen exposure at work o Presence or absence of work-related eye or nasal symptoms o Presence or absence of work-related respiratory symptoms and their duration o A full list of occupations held, their durations, and likely associated occupational exposures o Current ongoing asthmagen exposure o Whether other workers at the same workplace are affected o FEV1, FVC, and the degree of airflow limitation, compared to predicted values By second visit o If at work and appropriate; serial PEF measurements taken for at least 3 continuous weeks including rest days, with at least 4 good quality readings per day, analysed to assess work relatedness. o If performed, the results of non specific bronchial responsiveness o If exposed to allergen with appropriate specific IgE measure or skin prick test, the result of this test.

4/29/2012