Occupational asthma in Korea.
Occupational asthma (OA) is the leading occupational respiratory disease. Cases compensated as OA by the Korea Workers' Compensation and Welfare Service (COMWEL) (218 cases), cases reported by a surveillance system (286 cases), case reports by related scientific journals and cases confirmed by the Occupational Safety and Health Research Institute (OSHRI) over 15 yr from 1992 to 2006 were analyzed. Annual mean incidence rate was 1.6 by compensation and 3.5 by surveillance system, respectively. The trend appeared to increase according to the surveillance system. Incidence was very low compared with other countries. The most frequently reported causative agent was isocyanate followed by reactive dye in dyeing factories. Other chemicals, metals and dust were also found as causative agents. OA was underreported according to compensation and surveillance system data. In conclusion, a more effective surveillance system is needed to evaluate OA causes and distribution, and to effectively prevent newly developing OA.
Department of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, Wonju Christian Hospital Wonju College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea. oss0609@yonsei.ac.kr
Sung Soo
SS
Oh
Kyoo Sang
KS
Kim
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011159:Population Surveillance; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D014942:Workers' Compensation
D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational
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