Sheppard D
West J Med. 1982 Dec;137(6):480-5.
Bronchospasm is a common cause of morbidity in the workplace. More than 100 agents are now recognized as occupational causes of asthma and numerous agents can cause exacerbations of preexisting asthma. Because of the large number of potential causative agents and the complexity of modern industrial processes, knowledge of the characteristic clinical features of occupational asthma is the key to recognizing this disease. Early diagnosis of occupational asthma is important in preventing long-term morbidity. Present evidence that prolonged exposure to some work-encountered agents can cause asthma that persists for years after the end of exposure suggests that avoidance is the only acceptable countermeasure against this disease.
支气管痉挛是工作场所发病的常见原因。目前已确认有100多种因素可导致职业性哮喘，还有许多因素可使原有哮喘病情加重。由于潜在致病因素众多，现代工业生产过程复杂，了解职业性哮喘的典型临床特征是识别该病的关键。职业性哮喘的早期诊断对于预防长期发病很重要。目前有证据表明，长期接触某些工作中遇到的因素可引发哮喘，且在接触结束后哮喘仍可持续数年，这表明避免接触是针对这种疾病唯一可接受的对策。
