As part of our ongoing seminar series, the Centre of Excellence in Severe Asthma hosted Dr. Krystelle Godbout, for a webinar on “Occupational Asthma” on 29 August, 2016.
Occupational asthma is asthma that is caused by or worsened by exposure in the workplace. Symptoms are caused by repeated exposures to specific triggers at work, which lead to disease pathology.
Occupational asthma can be subdivided into sensitiser-induced and irritant-induced subtypes. This seminar presentation focusses on sensitiser-induced occupational asthma, which represents approximately 90% of cases. A range of workplace exposures can act as sensitisers. Common sensitisers include flour, isocyanates, solvents, wood dust and chlorine.
Diagnosis of occupational asthma requires a combination of investigations. An initial confirmation of an asthma diagnosis is required. Relevant clinical history and questionnaires can suggest a diagnosis of occupational asthma. Lung function monitoring can demonstrate associations between symptoms and time at work. Further investigations may be useful to identify specific sensitisers (e.g. allergy testing). Specific inhalation challenge can demonstrate a causal relationship between sensitiser exposure and symptoms.
Management of occupational asthma includes pharmacological treatment based on asthma management guidelines and referral to a relevant workplace compensation board. Sensitiser avoidance is often necessary to improve symptoms, whereas reducing exposure to sensitisers can lead to a progressive worsening of disease.
Dr. Krystelle Godbout is a pulmonologist from Quebec, Canada with an interest in severe asthma and occupational asthma. Upon completion of her respiratory training, she spent a year at the Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur (Montreal, Canada), training in occupational asthma.
At the time of this seminar, she was completing a one-year fellowship in severe asthma at the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI) and John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle.