Wo R K - R E L a T E D a S T H M a : a C a S E - B a S E D a P P Ro a C H to Management by Karin A. Pacheco,

Wo r k - R e l a t e d A s t h m a : A C a s e - B a s e d A p p ro a c h to Management
Karin A. Pacheco,
KEYWORDS  Occupational asthma  Work-exacerbated asthma  Work-aggravated asthma  Work-related asthma  Management
MD, MSPH a , Susan M. Tarlo,

MB BS, FRCP(C)

b,

*

The pharmacologic treatment of work-related asthma is the same as for nonoccupational asthma, following the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)1 or Global Initiative on Asthma (GINA) guidelines.2 However, additional concerns related to managing workplace exposures, job and task modifications, and medicolegal aspects make work-related asthma more complicated to manage.3 This article focuses mainly on those issues that are more specific to work-related asthma, to provide insight and direction as to how to manage these additional, more problematic aspects. Finally, it discusses levels and methods of prevention as the best management for occupationally induced or exacerbated asthma. Each category of workrelated asthma—occupational asthma (OA) and work-exacerbated asthma (WEA)—begins with a case vignette illustrating management issues specific to that type of asthma.
HIGH-MOLECULAR-WEIGHT SENSITIZER-INDUCED ASTHMA Case Example

A 30-year-old woman without a past history of asthma or allergies worked as a dental assistant for the past 10 years. Three years ago she developed red, raised, itchy welts

Disclosures: Dr Susan Tarlo has received peer-reviewed research grant funding from the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Board and from WorkSafeBC and the Workers’ Compensation Board of Newfoundland and Labrador for studies on work-related asthma. Disclosure: Dr Karin Pacheco has received research funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health for studies on occupational asthma. a Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado, CO, USA b Department of

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