GPs need to recognise occupational asthma

A new report published in the scientific journal Occupational Medicine has found that three quarters of the 3000 people who develop work-related asthma every year are not correctly diagnosed by GPs. Exposure to materials at work is behind one in ten cases of asthma in adults. Failures to diagnose the condition and delays in accessing specialist advice however mean that two thirds of sufferers never fully recover.

Researchers at the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, University of Birmingham conducted an audit of the electronic patient records of working age asthmatics. Occupation was only recorded in 14% of the cases and in nearly all cases (98%) GPs failed to record if they had asked simple screening questions about whether their asthma symptoms improved at weekends and on holiday.

Dr Gareth Walters, the lead author, said: “Most workers with new asthma symptoms present to their GPs first, so it is important for health care professionals working in primary care to recognize when these might be caused by or related to work. Early diagnosis can prevent on-going debilitating symptoms, time off work and financial loss for the worker.”