Occupational asthma in office workers. 2022

C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
Birmingham Regional NHS Occupational Lung Disease Service, Birmingham, UK.

Office work has a relative perception of safety for the worker. Data from surveillance schemes and population-based epidemiological studies suggest that office work carries a low risk of occupational asthma (OA). Office workers are frequently used as comparators in studies of occupational exposure and respiratory disease. We aimed to describe and illustrate our tertiary clinical experience of diagnosing OA in office workers. We searched the Birmingham NHS Occupational Lung Disease Service clinical database for cases of occupational respiratory disease diagnosed between 2002 and 2020, caused by office work or in office workers. For patients with OA, we gathered existing data on demographics, diagnostic tests including Occupational Asthma SYStem (OASYS) analysis of serial peak expiratory flow and specific inhalational challenge, and employment outcome. We summarised data and displayed them alongside illustrative cases. There were 47 cases of OA (5% of all asthma) confirmed using OASYS analysis of PEFs in the majority. Sixty percent of cases occurred in healthcare, education and government sectors. The most frequently implicated causative exposures or agents were: indoor air (9), printing, copying and laminating (7), cleaning chemicals (4), mould and damp (4), and acrylic flooring and adhesives (4). Exposures were grouped into internal office environment, office ventilation-related and adjacent environment. Clinicians should be vigilant for exposures associated with OA in office workers who present with work-related symptoms, where respiratory sensitizing agents may be present. A structured approach to assessment of the workplace is recommended.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D009784 Occupational Diseases Diseases caused by factors involved in one's employment. Diseases, Occupational,Occupational Illnesses,Disease, Occupational,Illnesse, Occupational,Illnesses, Occupational,Occupational Disease,Occupational Illnesse
D010366 Peak Expiratory Flow Rate Measurement of the maximum rate of airflow attained during a FORCED VITAL CAPACITY determination. Common abbreviations are PEFR and PFR. Expiratory Peak Flow Rate,Flow Rate, Peak Expiratory,PEFR
D012129 Respiratory Function Tests Measurement of the various processes involved in the act of respiration: inspiration, expiration, oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange, lung volume and compliance, etc. Lung Function Tests,Pulmonary Function Tests,Function Test, Pulmonary,Function Tests, Pulmonary,Pulmonary Function Test,Test, Pulmonary Function,Tests, Pulmonary Function,Function Test, Lung,Function Test, Respiratory,Function Tests, Lung,Function Tests, Respiratory,Lung Function Test,Respiratory Function Test,Test, Lung Function,Test, Respiratory Function,Tests, Lung Function,Tests, Respiratory Function
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016273 Occupational Exposure The exposure to potentially harmful chemical, physical, or biological agents that occurs as a result of one's occupation. Exposure, Occupational,Exposures, Occupational,Occupational Exposures
D059366 Asthma, Occupational Asthma attacks caused, triggered, or exacerbated by OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE. Asthmas, Occupational,Occupational Asthma,Occupational Asthmas

Related Publications

C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
October 2022, Occupational medicine (Oxford, England),
C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
December 1980, Sozial- und Praventivmedizin,
C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
February 1984, The Journal of allergy and clinical immunology,
C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
March 2004, Current opinion in pulmonary medicine,
C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
January 2009, Thorax,
C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
January 1993, American journal of public health,
C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
June 2017, Occupational medicine (Oxford, England),
C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
September 2018, Journal of occupational and environmental hygiene,
C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
May 1997, Allergy,
C C Huntley, and P S Burge, and V C Moore, and A S Robertson, and G I Walters
June 1994, Occupational and environmental medicine,
Copied contents to your clipboard!