No abstract

The incident registry was highly stable in terms of incidence rates over the observation period and served to highlight the large number of incidents recorded each year. The potential implications of the results are the need to explore reasons for increased exposures in certain areas, with the aim of focusing prevention efforts, and, similarly, to establish the factors associated with diminished incidence rates to model successful measures.

Procedures currently adopted for wheat flour dust exposure during SIC need to be better standardised in order to avoid excessive airborne dust exposure. Over-exposure seems to be of no use for the diagnosis and risks making the asthmatic reaction worse, particularly in patients who are both sensitised to wheat allergens and have NSBH and/or atopy.

No abstract

Summary A study was performed on twenty‐five workers exposed to polyurethane varnishes exclusively catalysed with TDI, who developed asthma to this substance. The aim of the study was to establish, using bronchial provocation tests, whether a cross‐response to MDI exists. The results were positive but no definitive evidence has been reached because there was cross‐response in only 48% of cases. It is interesting, however, that cross‐responders did not predominate among the subjects with a late reaction to TDI (P= 0.0038), whereas cross‐responders were in the majority among the subjects with a dual reaction to TDI (P= 0.0334). It is possible that the pattern of the asthmatic reaction to BPT with TDI influences the cross‐reaction to other isocyanates.