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Clinical Importance of Work-Exacerbated Asthma: Findings From a Prospective Asthma Cohort in a Highly Industrialized City in Korea

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Abstract
Purpose: Work-related asthma (WRA) occupies about 10%-30% of all asthma cases. Among 2 subtypes of WRA (occupational asthma (OA) and work-exacerbated asthma [WEA]), the rate of WEA has been reported to increase recently. WRA is described as having worse characteristics than non-WRA (NWRA), while WEA is known to show similar severity to OA in terms of symptoms and exacerbations. However, these data were mainly based on indirect surveys. Ulsan is a highly industrialized city in Korea; therefore, it is estimated to have a high incidence of WRA. This study aimed to identify the characteristics of WRA in the city.

Methods: This was a prospective asthma cohort study of individuals diagnosed with asthma and treated at Ulsan University Hospital between Jan 2015 and Dec 2016. Baseline characteristics and work-related inquiry (9 questionnaires) were investigated at enrollment. Various severity indices and job change were then investigated for the longitudinal analysis at 12 months after enrollment.

Results: In total, 217 asthma patients completed the study. WRA accounted for 17% (36/217), with an equal number of WEA and OA (18 patients each). Before the work-related survey, only 33% (n = 12) of WRA patients (22% [4/18] of WEA and 44% (8/18) of OA) were diagnosed with WRA by the attending physicians. Compared to the NWRA group and the OA subgroup, the WEA subgroup had more outpatient visits, more oral corticosteroids prescriptions, and trends of low asthma control test scores and severe asthma. The rate of job change was markedly lower in the WEA subgroup than in the OA subgroup (20% vs. 5%).

Conclusions: The overall prevalence of WRA (17%) was similar to those of previous studies, but the share of WEA was high (50% of WRA). WEA was more severe than OA or NWRA. The possible reason for this severity is ongoing workplace exposure.
Author(s)
조우리서광원정화식박취용강병주강현희나승원제갈양진안종준박순은정문식박주익박은지심창선김태범이태훈
Issued Date
2021
Type
Article
Keyword
Asthmaworkasthmaoccupational
DOI
10.4168/aair.2021.13.2.256
URI
https://oak.ulsan.ac.kr/handle/2021.oak/6998
https://ulsan-primo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=TN_cdi_pubmedcentral_primary_oai_pubmedcentral_nih_gov_7840872&context=PC&vid=ULSAN&lang=ko_KR&search_scope=default_scope&adaptor=primo_central_multiple_fe&tab=default_tab&query=any,contains,Clinical%20Importance%20of%20Work-Exacerbated%20Asthma:%20Findings%20From%20a%20Prospective%20Asthma%20Cohort%20in%20a%20Highly%20Industrialized%20City%20in%20Korea&offset=0&pcAvailability=true
Publisher
ALLERGY ASTHMA IMMUNOLOGY RESEARCH
Location
대한민국
Language
영어
ISSN
2092-7355
Citation Volume
13
Citation Number
2
Citation Start Page
256
Citation End Page
270
Appears in Collections:
Medicine > Medicine
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