Assessment of occupational asthma.

Although the true incidence of occupational asthma is not known, this disorder has been reported with increasing frequency in recent years. This article focuses on the diagnosis, management, prognosis and compensation of occupational asthma. Diagnosis of occupational asthma needs to be confirmed by objective means. There has been a general lack of uniformity in the diagnostic approach to the assessment of workers suspected of having occupational asthma. Once the disease has been diagnosed, the worker must be granted paid absence from work, and impairment and disability should be assessed periodically. It should be emphasized that the comments and recommendations contained in this article represent the views of the author and may not reflect the opinions of other investigators involved in the field of occupational asthma. The several unanswered questions raised in the article are intended to serve as a basis for a general discussion, with the aim of reaching a consensus and developing guidelines for the diagnosis and evaluation of occupational asthma in Italy.