In a new consensus statement, the American College of Chest Physicians offers guidance on the diagnosis and treatment of work-related asthma (WRA), a chronic respiratory condition that includes occupational asthma and work-exacerbated asthma (WEA) and affects as many as 25 percent of adults with asthma. Published as a supplement to the September issue of CHEST, the consensus statement, updated from 1995, places new emphasis on
- preventive measures, including better control of exposures;
- the need for a combination of diagnostic testing; and
- the importance of obtaining a full medical and occupational history in patients with suspected WRA.
The statement also places greater consideration on the diagnosis and management of WEA, which is preexisting or concurrent asthma that is worsened by work-related conditions. Developed by an expert panel of specialists in allergy, pulmonary medicine, and occupational medicine, the consensus statement provides supplemental materials, including a worker/workplace fact sheet and physician flow sheets to help physicians and other health-care providers diagnose and manage WRA. For more information related to the ACCP consensus statement on work-related asthma, visit www.chestjournal.org.