Between 10% and 25% of cases of asthma are they compounded by factors related to the work.

-is important to detect new agents that cause or aggravate asthma and in what environments you have to carry out measures preventive in people exposed to this type of environment

– factors that trigger occupational asthma must be taken into account history of allergy or smoking of the patient, as well as the presence of high levels of potential causal agents in the work environment

Madrid, March of 2012- currently, the list of existing in the workplace agents that cause asthma grows continually until reaching 400. between 10% and 25% of cases of asthma aggravated by work-related factors ”, explains Dr. Julio Delgado, Coordinator of the Committee of asthma of the Spanish society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (SEAIC), within the framework of the meeting space asthma: new challenges in the diagnosis and therapy of occupational asthma for Allergists, which was held in Madrid, with the collaboration of the laboratory Chiesi, and counted 250 attendees.

In this expert opinion, is very important to detect new agents that cause or aggravate asthma in time and in what environments you have to carry out measures preventive in people exposed to this type of environment. While the development of new asthma drugs has improved his control, for the proper treatment of occupational asthma is still basic to avoid contact with the agent that causes ”.

While the prevalence of asthma related work is not clearly defined in Spain, that are known factors that has been linked. Can be from the patient factors, such as a history of allergies or smoking, or the own work environment, since the presence of high levels of potential causative agents of occupational asthma increases its incidence and prevalence ”, explains Dr. Delgado.

To address the latest developments in occupational asthma, during two days, about 100 Allergists have met to review the latest developments from the point of view of the clinical aspects, diagnosis, treatment and prevention, as well as the current legislation in these situations.

The legal rights of patients with occupational asthma depend on several peculiarities. As explains Dr. Delgado, be differentiated if it’s a real occupational asthma or asthma aggravated at work. In any case, correctly diagnosed with occupational asthma is an occupational disease and as such should be evaluated for legal purposes ”.

How to detect occupational asthma?

Before a patient who presents symptoms of respiratory distress in their work environment, Dr. Delgado pointed out that the first step is to confirm that it is actually of asthma, with lung function tests to demonstrate the presence of reversible obstruction of the airway. Once confirmed the presence of asthma, it is necessary to link it with the occupation of the patient, showing that a given agent present in his working environment is the cause of the symptoms. For this specific diagnostic tests are performed both skin or serological as lung function. In any case, the biggest challenge is the realization of an early etiological diagnosis, to avoid the appearance of irreversible injury in these patients ”.

Although medical history is essential for the diagnosis of occupational asthma suspicion, diagnosis should not be based exclusively on it, must confirm specific etiologic diagnosis (such as allergic testing) tests, and with pulmonary function tests that you can perform in the same workplace either reproducing the working conditions in the laboratory ”, explains Dr. Delgado.

The Spanish Guide of asthma management (GEM) contains the basic criteria for the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with suspected occupational asthma.

Asthma and occupational asthma

Asthma is a respiratory disease that is chronic, although variable in their symptoms. Its main functional alteration is a reversible obstruction of the airway, causing episodes of coughing, shortness, oppression on the chest and noise by breathing. These symptoms are produced by different causes, primarily by an allergic reaction, and are wholly or partially reversible spontaneously or with treatment.

For its part, occupational asthma is that caused by the inhalation of certain agents in the workplace that can generate or worsen existing asthma. The first situation is known as occupational asthma, the second as asthma aggravated by work.

Chiesi

CHIESI laboratories is a pharmaceutical multinational headquartered in Parma (Italy) created more than 75 years ago. In recent years, its policy of promotion of r & d (which devotes 15% of the turnover) and new acquisitions have made possible that reach some sales exceeding EUR 1 billion in 2010. It has three floors of production (Italy, France and Brazil) and four research centres in Italy, France, Great Britain and United States. It has a strong presence in Europe (including Spain) and worldwide (United States, Brazil, Pakistan, China, Russia, Egypt and the Maghreb countries).