The management of work-related asthma guidelines: a broader perspective.

TY - JOUR

T1 - The management of work-related asthma guidelines: a broader perspective.

AU - Baur, Xaver

AU - Aasen, Tor Brøvig

AU - Burge, P Sherwood

AU - Heederik, Dick

AU - Henneberger, Paul K

AU - Maestrelli, Piero

AU - Schlünssen, Vivi

AU - Vandenplas, Olivier

AU - Wilken, Dennis

AU - Asthma, ERS Task Force On The Management Of Work-related

PY - 2012

Y1 - 2012

N2 - The aim of the European Respiratory Society work-related asthma guidelines is to present the management and prevention options of work-related asthma and their effectiveness. Work-related asthma accounts for 5-25% of all adult asthma cases and is responsible for a significant socioeconomic burden. Several hundred occupational agents, mainly allergens but also irritants and substances with unknown pathological mechanisms, have been identified as causing work-related asthma. The essential message of these guidelines is that the management of work-related asthma can be considerably optimised based on the present knowledge of causes, risk factors, pathomechanisms, and realistic and effective interventions. To reach this goal we urgently require greatly intensified primary preventive measures and improved case management. There is now a substantial body of evidence supporting the implementation of comprehensive medical surveillance programmes for workers at risk. Those workers who fail surveillance programmes need to be referred to a clinician who can confirm or exclude an occupational cause. Once work-related asthma is confirmed, a revised risk assessment in the workplace is needed to prevent further cases. These new guidelines confirm and extend already existing statements and recommendations. We hope that these guidelines will initiate the much-needed research that is required to fill the gaps in our knowledge and to initiate substantial improvements in preventative measures.

AB - The aim of the European Respiratory Society work-related asthma guidelines is to present the management and prevention options of work-related asthma and their effectiveness. Work-related asthma accounts for 5-25% of all adult asthma cases and is responsible for a significant socioeconomic burden. Several hundred occupational agents, mainly allergens but also irritants and substances with unknown pathological mechanisms, have been identified as causing work-related asthma. The essential message of these guidelines is that the management of work-related asthma can be considerably optimised based on the present knowledge of causes, risk factors, pathomechanisms, and realistic and effective interventions. To reach this goal we urgently require greatly intensified primary preventive measures and improved case management. There is now a substantial body of evidence supporting the implementation of comprehensive medical surveillance programmes for workers at risk. Those workers who fail surveillance programmes need to be referred to a clinician who can confirm or exclude an occupational cause. Once work-related asthma is confirmed, a revised risk assessment in the workplace is needed to prevent further cases. These new guidelines confirm and extend already existing statements and recommendations. We hope that these guidelines will initiate the much-needed research that is required to fill the gaps in our knowledge and to initiate substantial improvements in preventative measures.

KW - Humans

KW - Socioeconomic Factors

KW - Cost of Illness

KW - Consensus

KW - Guidelines as Topic

KW - Asthma, Occupational/economics/prevention & control/therapy

KW - Disease Management

KW - Occupational Exposure/prevention & control

KW - Humans

KW - Socioeconomic Factors

KW - Cost of Illness

KW - Consensus

KW - Guidelines as Topic

KW - Asthma, Occupational/economics/prevention & control/therapy

KW - Disease Management

KW - Occupational Exposure/prevention & control

U2 - 10.1183/09059180.00004711

DO - 10.1183/09059180.00004711

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

VL - 21

SP - 125

EP - 139

JO - Eur Respir Rev

JF - Eur Respir Rev

SN - 0905-9180

IS - 124

M1 - 124

ER -