ACTA FAC. MED. NAISS. 2004; 21 (2): 65-71

Professional article
 

        ALLERGIC RHINITIS - POSSIBLE OCCUPATIONAL DISEASE - CRITERIA SUGGESTION

        Mirjana Aranđelović¹, Ivana Stanković², Jovica Jovanović¹, Saša Borisov¹, Sonja Stanković¹

        ¹Institute for Health Protection of Workers - Niš
        ²Clinic for Pulmonary diseases and TBC - Knez Selo, Clinical Center Niš    

        SUMMARY        

        After the skin, the respiratory tract is the most commonly affected organ system in workers exposed to ever increasing number of different respiratory agents. Allergic rhinitis could be caused by occupational allergens which characterises rhinitis as a occupational disease. Our country does not recognize allergic rhinitis as an occupational disease, although a lot of countries do. It has been suggested, in accordance with European Union Commission recommendations from 2003, to add allergic rhinitis to the occupational disease list, provided that the necessary suggested criteria are met. Regarding allergic rhinitis as an occupational disease will present important prevention measure regarding the occurrence of occupational asthma and disability in exposed workers. It has been suggested to take into account the following criteria in order to classisfy the allergic rhinits as a occupational disease: positive work history, a worker is a non-smoker, there was no nasal allergic disease before obtaining a job, ORL examination result (specific physical examination result), proof of specific sensibilisation existence (exposure test, prick skin testing, IgE, nasal specific provoking test etc.) Compulsory elements for establishing the diagnose would be the following: medical history, physical examination (ORL examination), in vivo skin test, determining total and specific IgE in serum, measuring maximum nasal airflow, non-specific nasal provoking test, cytological examination of nasal lavage sample, mucociliary cleaning test. Olfaction ability test, computed tomography of paranasal cavities and pulmonary function test.

        Key words: occupational rhinitis, diagnose, criteria