Division of Preventive, Occupational, and Aerospace Medicine, and Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine; Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN.
Chest. 2011 Mar;139(3):674-681. doi: 10.1378/chest.10-0079.
Occupational asthma refers to asthma induced by exposure in the working environment to airborne dusts, vapors, or fumes, with or without preexisting asthma. Potential triggers of occupational asthma are diverse and involve a variety of postulated mechanisms. After confirming the presence of asthma, diagnosis hinges on obtaining a detailed and accurate occupational and environmental history and documenting a temporal association of symptoms or signs with workplace exposure. Management of occupational asthma centers on prescribing standard asthma therapies in conjunction with instituting preventive strategies, such as appropriate avoidance of environmental triggers, providing work restrictions, and using environmental controls and/or personal respiratory protection. If a worker is determined to be ill or injured, there are a variety of compensation systems that are designed to protect workers financially from disability related to respiratory impairments; however, the administrative process is frequently difficult to navigate for patients and their providers. Focusing on obtaining a detailed occupational and environmental history, establishing clear objective data to substantiate illness, and estimating or apportioning workplace contribution to the condition is important for the diagnosis and treatment of this relatively common form of asthma.
职业性哮喘是指在工作环境中吸入空气中的粉尘、蒸气或烟雾而引起的哮喘，可伴有或不伴有先前存在的哮喘。职业性哮喘的潜在诱因多种多样，涉及多种推测的机制。在确认哮喘存在后，诊断取决于详细和准确的职业和环境史，并记录症状或体征与工作场所暴露之间的时间关联。职业性哮喘的管理侧重于开具标准哮喘治疗药物，并同时实施预防策略，例如适当避免环境触发因素、提供工作限制以及使用环境控制和/或个人呼吸保护。如果确定工人患病或受伤，有多种赔偿制度旨在从与呼吸损伤相关的残疾中为工人提供经济保护；然而，对于患者及其提供者来说，行政程序通常很难驾驭。关注获取详细的职业和环境史、建立明确的客观数据来证实疾病、以及估计或分摊工作场所对病情的贡献，对于这种相对常见的哮喘形式的诊断和治疗很重要。
