title: Baker's asthma: a case report.
abstract: Bakers are known to experience respiratory complaints ranging from allergic rhinitis to chronic bronchitis and asthma. We report here the first confirmed case of baker's asthma in Singapore. The patient is a 40 year-old Chinese male, working at a biscuit factory for the last 14 years as a mixer. He developed asthmatic attacks five years after joining the factory and had been on bronchodilators and oral steroids. He was confirmed to have occupational asthma due to wheat flour, following a bronchial challenge test. He was subsequently transferred to another section and there was marked improvement in the frequency of attacks and the peak expiratory flow rate. This case illustrates the need to consider workplace factors in the diagnosis and management of asthma among the working population. Medical treatment alone is insufficient in the management of occupational and work-related asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community, Occupational and Family Medicine, National University of Singapore.
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jeyaratnam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D005433:Flour / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005511:Food Handling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational