Occupational asthma; the limited role of air-fed respiratory protective equipment
| Autor: | Vicky Moore, Alastair Robertson, P. Sherwood Burge, Aslihan Ilgaz, Gareth Walters |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2019 |
| Předmět: |
Adult
Male medicine.medical_specialty business.product_category Peak Expiratory Flow Rate Air Pollutants Occupational Pulmonary function testing Metal working fluid 03 medical and health sciences 0302 clinical medicine Manufacturing and Industrial Facilities Occupational Exposure Internal medicine medicine Humans Asthma Occupational Respiratory Protective Devices Respiratory system Respirator Occupational lung disease Asthma Aerosols 030201 allergy business.industry Public Health Environmental and Occupational Health Middle Aged medicine.disease Work exposure 030228 respiratory system Female business Automobiles Occupational asthma |
| Zdroj: | Occupational Medicine. 69:329-335 |
| ISSN: | 1471-8405 0962-7480 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/occmed/kqz074 |
| Popis: | Background Evidence-based reviews have found that evidence for the efficacy of respiratory protective equipment (RPE) in the management of occupational asthma (OA) is lacking. Aims To quantify the effectiveness of air-fed RPE in workers with sensitizer-induced OA exposed to metal-working fluid aerosols in a car engine and transmission manufacturing facility. Methods All workers from an outbreak of metal-working fluid-induced OA who had continuing peak expiratory flow (PEF) evidence of sensitizer-induced OA after steam cleaning and replacement of all metal-working fluid were included. Workers kept 2-hourly PEF measurements at home and work, before and after a strictly enforced programme of RPE with air-fed respirators with charcoal filters. The area-between-curve (ABC) score from the Oasys plotter was used to assess the effectiveness of the RPE. Results Twenty workers met the inclusion criteria. Records were kept for a mean of 24.6 day shifts and rest days before and 24.7 after the institution of RPE. The ABC score improved from 26.6 (SD 16.2) to 17.7 (SD 25.4) l/min/h (P > 0.05) post-RPE; however, work-related decline was Conclusions Serial PEF measurements assessed with the ABC score from the Oasys system allowed quantification of the effect of RPE in sensitized workers. The RPE reduced falls in PEF associated with work exposure, but this was rarely complete. This study suggests that RPE use cannot be relied on to replace source control in workers with OA, and that monitoring post-RPE introduction is needed. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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