Ankara Medical Journal (Mar 2020)

Ocupational asthma and rhinitis among health care workers in tertiary health care centers

  • Adile Berna Dursun,
  • Funda Aksu,
  • Hülya Bayiz,
  • Kurtuluş Aksu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.5505/amj.2020.26214
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 20, no. 1
pp. 196 – 204

Abstract

Read online

INTRODUCTION: The first diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of occupational asthma and rhinitis is clinical history, which inquires about the nature of symptoms and their relationship to work and specific occupational exposures. The present study aims to search for the presence of symptoms related to occupational asthma and/or rhinitis among health care workers. METHODS: With an open questionnaire health-care workers employed in bacteriology, biochemistry/hematology, pathology and dental laboratories in tertiary health-care centers were questioned about the presence of symptoms regarding occupational asthma and rhinitis as well as the relationship of their symptoms with the workplace. RESULTS: Of 230 subjects (165 females, 65 males) mean age was 34.39 +- 0.51 and they were exposed at work for a mean duration of 10.13+-0.49 years. Work-related symptoms were positive in 172 (%74.78) subjects for about 4.92+-0.42 years. All subjects employed in the pathology department and most of the ones (92.19%) in dental hospital and more than half of employees of bacteriology (72.92%), biochemistry/hematology laboratories (50.63%) were symptomatic. The most commonly reported symptoms by participants were nasal and ocular whereas other symptoms were found to be respiratory, constitutional and dermatological. 54.65% of the subjects were able to identify a specific agent related to their symptoms. Of the patients 88.37% stated that their symptoms were worse on the days when they came to work; 50.58% that their symptoms were intensified progressively throughout the week; 20.93% and 8.14% stated that they continued to be symptomatic during the weekend and long term holidays, respectively. Although being aware of the symptoms only %55.81 of the subject were willing to be tested in the clinic. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The majority of the health-care workers working in tertiary centers have work-related symptoms involving one or more systems. However, most of them ignore their symptoms and are not willing to be evaluated for occupational asthma and/or rhinitis. Health-care workers should be informed about occupational health and their workplace conditions should be improved.

Keywords