Clinical evaluation, management, and prevention of work-related asthma

Work-related asthma (WRA) is asthma that is attributable to, or is made wor se by, environmental exposures in the workplace. WRA has become the most pr evalent occupational lung disease in developed countries, is more common th an is generally recognized, and can be severe and disabling. Identification of workplace exposures causing and/or aggravating the asthma, and appropri ate control or cessation of these exposures can often lend to reduction or even complete elimination of symptoms and disability. This depends on timel y recognition and diagnosis of WRA. In this review, the diagnostic evaluati on has been organized in a stepwise fashion to make it more practical for p rimary care physicians as well as physicians specializing in occupational d iseases and asthma. WRA merits more widespread attention among clinicians, labor and management health and safety specialists, researchers, health car e organizations, public health policy makers, industrial hygienists, and ot hers interested in disease prevention. Am. J. Ind. Med. 37:121-141, 2000. ( C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.