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- Work-related asthma in
teachers in Connecticut: association with chronic water damage
and fungal growth in schools
Dangman KH,
Bracker AL,
Storey E.
Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University
of Connecticut Health Center, MC 6210, 263 Farmington Avenue,
Farmington, CT 06030, USA. dangman@up.uchc.edu
PURPOSE: To review a series of 55 teachers from schools in
Connecticut who presented consecutively to our clinic, and to
summarize our clinical experience with work-related disease in
this population, which could lead to a more formal study.
METHODS: Retrospective chart review; data were abstracted
concerning clinical and environmental factors and entered into a
statistical spreadsheet program (JMP for Windows). RESULTS: Of
the 55 educators, 22 were diagnosed with upper respiratory
syndromes (rhinitis or sinusitis), three with bronchitis, and 23
with asthma. Of the 23 with asthma, 20 presented with active or
symptomatic asthma, and seven of these were incident cases of
occupational asthma. In addition, four cases (7%) of
granulomatous lung disease (two hypersensitivity pneumonitis and
two sarcoidosis) were diagnosed. Finally, three patients (5%)
received only nonrespiratory diagnoses (panic disorder, sicca
syndrome, and vertigo). In 33 work-places, the exposures of
concern were predominantly related to ongoing "dampness" or
visible mold growth. The remaining 22 work-places were "dry."
Symptoms varied according to the work-place environment, with
more patients from water damaged (vs dry) work-places having
upper respiratory symptoms (76% vs 45%) and asthma (45% vs 23%).
All seven patients with incident asthma and all four patients
with interstitial lung disease worked in schools with documented
water incursion. CONCLUSIONS: Work-place exposures in water
damaged school buildings are risk factors for development of
work-related lower respiratory disease in schoolteachers and
staff. Identification of such high-risk environments can be done
by a simple but thorough qualitative evaluation during a
walk-through inspection, and it should not require air sampling
or surface sampling protocols for microbial contaminants.
PMID: 15736369 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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