Standards of care for occupational asthma: An update

Abstract

Background: The British Thoracic Society (BTS) Standards of Care (SoC) Committee produced a standard of care for occupational asthma (OA) in 2008, based on a systematic evidence review performed in 2004 by the British Occupational Health Research Foundation (BOHRF). Methods: BOHRF updated the evidence base from 2004-2009 in 2010. Results: This article summarises the changes in evidence and is aimed at physicians, nurses and other healthcare professionals in primary and secondary care, occupational health and public health and at employers, workers and their health, safety and other representatives. Conclusions: Various recommendations and evidence ratings have changed in the management of asthma that may have an occupational cause.