Occupational Asthma in a Paint Spraying Workers : A Case Report - โรคหืดจากการทำงานในคนงานพ่นสี : รายงานผู้ป่วย

Abstract

Occupational asthma is a type of asthma that occurs among workers who are exposed to sensitizing agents in workplace environment. This report describes an occupational asthma case in the pipe-joint paint spraying department in a water main factory. He was a 27-year-old Thai man who has been working in this factory for 11 years. He had no previous history of allergy. Until 2 years ago he was transferred to the pipe-joint paint spraying department and developed dyspnea and cough while working during the last 6 months. His physical examination and pulmonary function test demonstrated normal results. However, his self-recorded serial peak flow measurement during working showed greater than 20 percent daily variability in peak expiratory flow rate. A walk-through survey at the factory revealed the worker's potential exposure to the painting powder which is an allergic agent. Laboratory analysis indicated that the suspected powder is an epoxy resin. The patient was treated by occasional bronchodilator inhalation and being transferred from present department to the packing department. After 5 months of treatment, he still developed occasional dyspnea during hard working. But his peak expiratory flow rate improved significantly comparing to the measurement while working in the previous department.