Potroom asthma : prevention and prognosis of occupational asthma in aluminium potroom workers

The diagnosis occupational asthma implicates serious consequences for both affected individuals and their employers, such as long-time medical treatment and unfitness for the job. In chapter 2 some background information has been presented. Aluminium potroom asthma is a specific form of occupational asthma. In course of time many workers in the primary aluminium industry in the Netherlands have developed asthma. Very little is known about the factors that can affect the onset of symptoms and the prognosis of aluminium potroom asthma. Therefore, we have carried out a retrospective study in the primary aluminium industry in the Netherlands in order to provide tools for occupational physicians to prevent the development of occupational asthma and to contend aggravation of asthma. A more specific aim of the present study was to gain more insight in patient characteristics predicting the onset and course of the disease. We have formulated five specific questions in this thesis: . Which risk indicators can be identified in aluminium potroom workers who developed asthma? Did preventive measures such as exposure reduction and the introduction of the histamine provocation test as a pre-employment selection instrument result in lower incidence of potroom asthma or a longer latency time between starting employment and the occurrence of potroom asthma? Which factors are determining for the prognosis in transferred workers with potroom asthma? Which factors are determining for the medical outcome in workers with potroom asthma currently employed? What is the effectiveness of screening at pre-employment examination to prevent occupational asthma in this industry? ...

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