Non-specific Airway Disease and Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

Specific practice strategies comprise of the following: education on public health using various mediums such as the lay press, radio, and television, created by state and federal agencies, industry, unions, or universities; educating primary care providers, augmented by timely, accurate and concise reviews in professional journals and supplemented with audiovisual materials created and distributed by government agencies or professional societies; education of union health, industrial and safety personnel; development and distribution of exhaustive materials meant for all groups associated with adjudication of employee claims; and providing education to workers, with specific focus on smoking-cessation programs.

Specific research strategies comprise of the following: augmentation of methods used to measure (both retrospectively and prospectively) related occupational exposures; assessment of the effectiveness of medical surveillance, along with environmental control programs; studies (population-based) to clearly identify the population that may be at a risk for HP; assessment of the relationships among different variables such as occupational exposures, cross-shift changes occurring in the lung function, increased airway reactivity, and incidence and progression of HP and nonspecific airway disease; development and testing of biomarkers meant for nonspecific airway disease susceptibility, with the objective to support epidemiologic studies; using immunochemistry, for example RAST inhibition, in order to identify and quantify antigens that are responsible for HP; assessment of febrile respiratory illnesses linked with contamination of air-conditioning and humidification systems, on the basis of epidemiologic studies (population-based) using standard respiratory questionnaires, evaluation of lung function, and serologic testing; assessment of large-scale intervention programs; and assessment of needs of associated populations to direct implementation of educational programming.

Inhaled Toxic Gases – Respiratory effects

Specific practice strategies comprise of the following: educating workers on safe work practices and occupational hazards; providing education to managers on existing environmental controls and the significance of implementing them; educating workers and managers about acceptable exposure levels; and educating primary care providers about how to identify injuries that are caused by inhaled toxic agents.

Specific research strategies comprise of the following: research on large populations, using the right epidemiologic methods, including evaluation of physiologic parameters and potential airway responsiveness; keeping track of workers who were exposed to high concentrations; creation of a registry of hazardous agents in order to allow long-term tracking and a statistical source on incidence, effectiveness of treatment, and factors affecting prognosis; prospective assessment of workers who are exposed repeatedly to low concentrations; studies that incorporate the methods of inhalation chamber exposures, and which account for factors such as genetic markers, atopic status, cigarette smoking, and exposure to other types of industrial and atmospheric toxins; investigations on animals in order to establish dose-response relationships, particularly in low-level exposures, pertaining to the structure and function of the lung; and assessment of needs to direct educational programming.

Byssinosis

Specific practice strategies comprise of the following: education meant for workers and managers in the textile industry, and regulators and politicians associated with the industry, about the significance of cotton dust limitation, workplace monitoring, safe work practices, enforcement, and avoiding cigarette smoking; and education to increase awareness about byssinosis and to augment diagnostic skills amongst primary care physicians, paramedical personnel, occupational health professionals deployed in the industry and unions, and other health professionals.

Specific research strategies comprise of the following: research studies that focus on augmenting control technology; research to understand the relationship between regular exposure to cotton dust and loss of lung function at an increased rate or development of disability resulting from byssinosis; identifying the specific causative agent linked with byssinosis; carrying out comparisons of therapeutic effects of different types of treatments for byssinosis once exposure has ceased; and assessment of needs to direct educational programming.

Occupational Asthma

Specific practice strategies comprise of the following: education for all workers and managers in all industries that use materials identified as potential causes of occupational asthma, and regulators and politicians associated with the industry, about the significance of limiting exposure, workplace monitoring, safe work practices, enforcement, and avoiding cigarette smoking; education to increase awareness about occupational asthma and to augment diagnostic skills amongst primary care physicians, paramedical personnel, occupational health professionals deployed in the industry and unions, and other health professionals; educating Workers’ Compensation Boards about occupational asthma, especially on the topic of limiting duration of exposure; and complying with federal environmental standards wherever they exist.

Specific research strategies comprise of the following: research on augmenting control technology; research studies to allow better identification of predisposing factors responsible for occupational asthma; investigations on occupational asthma in order to make a prognosis after exposure to hazardous agents; identifying new materials that can potentially induce occupational asthma; and longitudinal research studies of various types of occupational asthma and their prevalence.