title: Lack of respiratory improvement following remediation of a water-damaged office building.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Damp buildings are commonly remediated without removing employees or ongoing medical surveillance.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined paired pulmonary function and questionnaire data from 2002 and 2005 for 97 employees in a water-damaged building during ongoing but incomplete remediation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed no overall improvement in respiratory health, as reflected in symptom scores, overall medication use, spirometry abnormalities, or sick leave. Four employees went from borderline bronchial hyperresponsiveness to bronchial hyperresponsiveness; six developed abnormal spirometry; three more reported post-occupancy current asthma, and four hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The number of participants without lower respiratory symptoms decreased from 27 in 2002 to 20 in 2005. Respiratory cases relocated in the building had a decrease in medication use and sick leave in 2005.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  During dampness remediation, relocation may be health protective and prevent incident building-related respiratory cases. Without relocation of entire workforces, medical surveillance is advisable for secondary prevention of existing building-related disease.
authors.affiliation: Epidemic Intelligence Service, Office of Workforce and Career Development, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Yulia Y
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Iossifova
authors.forename: Jean M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cox-Ganser
authors.forename: Ju-Hyeong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Sandra K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kreiss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005160:Facility Design and Construction / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity / Q000009:adverse effects; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D016272:Occupational Health; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012737:Sex Factors; D018877:Sick Building Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014867:Water / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D014867:Water