THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF OCCUPATIONAL ASTHMA

被引:22
作者
BECKETT, WS
机构
[1] Occupational Medicine Program, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 065010
关键词
ASTHMA PROFESSIONAL; ISOCYANATES; OCCUPATIONAL LUNG DISEASE; RESPIRATORY DISEASE; EPIDEMIOLOGY;
D O I
10.1183/09031936.94.07010161
中图分类号
R56 [呼吸系及胸部疾病];
学科分类号
摘要
With the accelerating pace of new knowledge about occupational asthma, systematic epidemiological approaches have yielded important new insights into its clinical characteristics. Such questions as ''what proportion of ah cases of asthma are caused by occupational exposures?'' and ''is occupational asthma incidence rising?'' can now be answered. Surveillance programmes estimate the number of exposed individuals and the number of incident cases, allowing us to perceive the magnitude of the health problem. Although occupational asthma is a relatively common illness, very little is known about quantitative exposure-response relationships. Epidemiological techniques can quantify the importance of predisposing factors, such as atopy or cigarette smoking, in determining individual risk factors for occupational asthma. Still to be determined are the major, possibly genetic factors which make occupational asthma an ''idiosyncratic'' illness, affecting only a minority of those with equivalent exposures in the workplace. The goal of applying epidemiological techniques to the study of occupational asthma is ultimately to identify more effective means to prevent its occurrence.
引用
收藏
页码:161 / 164
页数:4
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