WOEMA is a regional component of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), and is dedicated to high quality medical care and ethical principles governing the practice of occupational medicine.
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WOEMA Journal Watch
This new feature brings you a concise review of the most up to date information pertaining to the field of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. Targeted at front-line practitioners, these reviews provide the tools to stay abreast of our ever evolving field.
ATS Proceedings - Asthma in the Workplace
Work-related asthma and related airway conditions are under recognized and under diagnosed in both developed and developing countries.
The American Thoracic Society has published a position paper on "Asthma in the Workplace" and addresses prevalence and incidence, environmental issues, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.
A distinction is made between "occupational asthma" and "work-exacerbated asthma" with comments regarding several industries and specific allergens. As well, there is a discussion on the relationship between irritant exposures and underlying atopy and/or asthma.
The article stated that none of the current diagnostic tests for occupational asthma is perfect in isolation. Patients need as accurate a diagnosis as feasible. Misdiagnosis can be harmful. Although there are no simple solutions, many important issues are discussed in this article.