Clinical and bronchial provocation studies in patients with meatwrappers' asthma

Reactive airway disease has been meatwrappers employing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) soft wrap film and thermally activated price labels. Sixty-nine percent of 96 meatwrappers responding to a mail survey had work-related respiratory, mucous membrane, or systemic complaints. Smokers developed more pronounced symptoms than nonsmokers. Work-simulated bronchial provocation tests were carried out in 14 symptomatic meatwrappers. Following a 3-hr exposure to polyvinyl chloride fumes, 3 of 11 workers developed a mean decrease of 25% in FEV, and 7 of 11 workers developed a mean decrease of 13 mm Hg in their PaO2. Following a 30-sec to 20-min exposure to price label adhesive fumes, 9 of13 workers developed a mean decrease of 49% in FEV1 and 12 of 13 developed a mean decrease of 20 mm Hg in their PaO2. Though a hypersensitivity reaction to one or more components in PVC or price label adhesive emissions is suspected, the precise pathogenesis of this syndrome remains unknown. The entire spectrum of meatwrappers' syndrome must be interpreted as a complex response to both PVC and price label adhesive fume exposure.