Sick-building syndrome

Redlich, Carrie A.; Sparer, Judy; Cullen, Mark R.

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(96)07220-0

Cited by 481 publications

(251 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The range of terms commonly used and interchanged include; airway symptoms from chemicals (ASC) [17], multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) syndrome [18] and the symptoms attributed to low level exposure to chemical and physical hazards in nonindustrial indoor environments called 'sick-building syndrome' [19]. Furthermore there are no validated objective methods to measure or detect this condition.…”

Section: How Common Is Airway Sensory Hyperreactivity (Shr)?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Are there clinical features of a sensitized cough reflex?

McGarvey

McKeagney²,

Polley

et al. 2009

Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

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Key words: sensory hyperresponsiveness, hyperreactivity, cough reflex, receptor AbstractCough reflex hypersensitization is a key feature in patients with troublesome cough. The clinical consequence of this hypersensitive state is typified by bouts of coughing often triggered by low threshold stimuli encountered by the patient during normal daily activities including exposure to aerosols, scents and odours, a change in air temperature and when talking or laughing. These features are often perceived by cough patients to be the most disruptive aspect of their condition and undoubtedly contribute to impaired quality of life.Patients with troublesome cough may describe a range of additional symptoms and sensations including an 'urge to cough' or the feeling of an 'itch' at the back of the throat, or a choking sensation and occasionally chest pain or breathlessness. It is uncertain if these features arise due to the processes responsible for cough reflex sensitisation or as a direct consequence of the underlying cough aetiology. In an attempt to understand the clinical features of a sensitized cough reflex, the spectrum of symptoms typically described by cough patients will be reviewed and possible underlying mechanisms considered. Since an intact cough reflex is crucial to airway protection, anti-tussive treatment that attenuates the hypersensitive cough state rather than abolishing the cough reflex completely would be preferable. Identifying such agents remains a clinical, scientific and pharmacological challenge.

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Section: How Common Is Airway Sensory Hyperreactivity (Shr)?mentioning

confidence: 99%

Are there clinical features of a sensitized cough reflex?

McGarvey

McKeagney²,

Polley

et al. 2009

Pulmonary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

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show abstract

“…WHO (1983) defined SBS as a combination of general, mucous, and skin symptoms. Several risk factors have been found including low ventilation, presence of photocopiers and laser printers, high psychosocial load, female gender (Redlish et al, 1997), and water damage to the building. These risk factors have been recently reviewed by Bornehag et al (2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variability of personal chemical exposure in eight office buildings in Sweden

Glas

Levin

Stenberg

et al. 2004

J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

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This study focuses on the variability in chemical exposures for individuals working in office buildings. The study involved eight office buildings with 79 participants, and exposures were measured using personal samplers for volatile organic compounds, aldehydes, amines, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particles. Ventilation was assessed in each individual office. ''Variability among buildings'' and ''variability among individuals'' were evaluated for any component (of the 123) measured in samples from at least 20 persons, using variance component analysis and principal component analysis. Interpersonal differences explained the major part of the variance for 78% of the compounds versus between-buildings differences for 14% of the compounds. For 8% of compounds, the variation was explained in equal amounts by the differences among individuals and among buildings. This study illustrates the necessity for individualised measurements (versus stationary measurements in building) to estimate personal exposures. These results also support the conculsion that in case-referent studies of ''sick building syndrome'' (SBS), referents to SBS cases can be randomised for building location.

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“…BRS refers to symptoms that cannot be associated with an identifiable cause but that appear to be building related, including headache, irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, lethargy, nausea, dizziness, and chest tightness (19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24). The role of fungi in BRS has not yet been fully studied, and the few available findings are contradictory (4,18,25,26).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Populations and determinants of airborne fungi in large office buildings.

Chao

Schwartz

Milton

et al. 2002

Environ Health Perspect

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Bioaerosol concentrations in office environments and their roles in causing building-related symptoms have drawn much attention in recent years. Most bioaerosol studies have been cross-sectional. We conducted a longitudinal study to examine the characteristics of airborne fungal populations and correlations with other environmental parameters in office environments. We investigated four office buildings in Boston, Massachusetts, during 1 year beginning May 1997, recruiting 21 offices with open workstations. We conducted intensive bioaerosol sampling every 6 weeks resulting in 10 sets of measurement events at each workstation, and recorded relative humidity, temperature, and CO2 concentrations continuously. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to identify groups of culturable fungal taxa that covaried in air. Four major groupings (PCA factors) were derived where the fungal taxa in the same groupings shared similar ecological requirements. Total airborne fungal concentrations varied significantly by season (highest in summer, lowest in winter) and were positively correlated with relative humidity and negatively related to CO2 concentrations. The first and second PCA factors had similar correlations with environmental variables compared with total fungi. The results of this study provide essential information on the variability within airborne fungal populations in office environments over time. These data also provide background against which cross-sectional data can be compared to facilitate interpretation. More studies are needed to correlate airborne fungi and occupants' health, controlling for seasonal effects and other important environmental factors.

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Sick-building syndrome

Cited by 481 publications

References 14 publications

Are there clinical features of a sensitized cough reflex?

Are there clinical features of a sensitized cough reflex?

Variability of personal chemical exposure in eight office buildings in Sweden

Populations and determinants of airborne fungi in large office buildings.

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