United airways disease among florists


https://doi.org/10.4081/cdr.1.152
Vol. 1 No. 1 (2011)
Submitted: 27 July 2011
Accepted: 7 September 2011
Published: 8 September 2011
flower, work-related, conjunctivitis, rhinitis, asthma, atopy, epidemiology.
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PDF: 1431
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Authors

  • Muge Akpinar-Elci
    makpinarelci@gmail.com
    Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada, WI, Grenada.
  • Omur Cinar Elci Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada, WI, Grenada.
  • Aygul Odabasi Department of Respiratory Medicine, Izan Hospital, Milas, Turkey.
Previously we observed an excess risk for occupational asthma among florists with rhinitis. To further evaluate the link between upper and lower airways, we investigated united airways disease in the same occupational group. Occupational history, symptoms and atopy were investigated among 128 florists. Age-, smoking-, and gender-adjusted risks were calculated using logistic regression models comparing symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. The prevalence of work-related rhinitis symptoms was 13.3%, conjunctivitis symptoms and asthma-like symptoms were 14.1%. We observed an excess risk of work-related asthma symptoms among florists with work-related conjunctivitis (OR: 8.5, 95% CI: 2.4-29.9) and rhinitis (OR: 13.1, 95% CI: 3.0- 58.0). Florists with positive allergen skin test for flower mix were 13.0 times more likely to have work-related rhinitis and 12.5 times more likely to have work-related conjunctivitis. The observed relationship between work-related asthma and rhinoconjunctivitis is supportive of the concept of the united airways disease.

Muge Akpinar-Elci, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada, WI
Muge Akpinar-Elci, MD, MPH, Associate Professor, Environmental and Occupational Health Track Director, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, St. George's University
Omur Cinar Elci, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, St. George's University, Grenada, WI

Omur Cinar Elci, MD, PhD, FRSPH,

Professor and Chair, Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine,
School of Medicine, St. George's University,
Grenada

Aygul Odabasi, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Izan Hospital, Milas
Aygul Odabasi, MD. Department of Respiratory Medicine, Izan Hospital, Milas, Turkey

Supporting Agencies

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Akpinar-Elci, M., Elci, O. C., & Odabasi, A. (2011). United airways disease among florists. Chest Disease Reports, 1(1), e10. https://doi.org/10.4081/cdr.1.152

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