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Prevalence of Work-Related Asthma and its Impact in Primary Health Care
Rosa Vila-Rigat1, Rafael Panadès Valls2, Enric Hernandez Huet3
1Centro de Atención Primaria La Garriga, Institut Català de la Salut, La Garriga, Barcelona, España; Grup de Recerca de Respiratori del Vallès Oriental (GRRVO).
Background And Objective:
To determine the prevalence of occupational asthma (OA) and work-exacerbated asthma (WEA) among asthmatic patients diagnosed in Primary Health Care (PHC). To analyze the impact at PHC level caused by under-diagnosis and inappropriate referral of OA.
Patients And Methods:
A descriptive, cross-sectional multicenter study in patients aged between 16 and 64years diagnosed with asthma, according to their medical record; all were working or had worked, and were assigned to one of 16 PHC centers in a healthcare district. Based on the responses to the questionnaire completed at the study visit, which included a thorough review of the subject's entire working history, patients were classified into three categories by an expert in occupational asthma: OA, WEA or common asthma (CA).
Results:
Three hundred and sixty-eight patients completed the questionnaire. The prevalence of OA was 18.2% (25% in men and 14.6% in women, P=.046), and 54 patients (14.7%) were classified as WEA. The proportion of patients with work-related asthma (WRA) was therefore 32.9%. Asthmatic patients with WRA took more sick leave than CA patients (P<.001).
Conclusions:
A high prevalence of WRA was found, mostly treated in PHC. Under-diagnosis of WRA is widespread in PHC.
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