Occupational asthma in industry

It is difficult to establish the relationship among the symptoms of asthma, the patient's professional activity and the presence or absence of sensitization to certain agents in the working environment. Guided compilation of the case history and measurement of nonspecific bronchial hyperreactivity and bronchial inflammation are currently essential in the diagnostic approach to occupational asthma. Whenever possible, allergists should establish the cause-effect relationship in occupational asthma, as required by themedical-legal and social implications of the disease. Occupational asthma remains a minority diagnosis among occupational diseases in general. Adequate personnel training and the creation of diagnostic centers may help to ensure correct and rapid detection of this disease.