Occupational asthma

Occupational asthma continues to provide a challenge for primary care and consulting physicians. Because occupational asthma is the most common occupational pulmonary disease, practitioners must have a working knowledge of this complex condition. Because early recognition may improve long-term outcome, it is incumbent on the treating physician to identify potential cases and remove the worker from the potential offending source. The multiple confounding medical, socioeconomic, and legal variables in most cases requires that each patient be investigated rigorously, including review of past medical records, industrial hygiene data, and MSDSs.