Abstract

Many of the 1,250 and 2,500 Québec workers exposed to isocyanates have developed asthma. The techniques used to diagnose occupationally induced hypersensitivity did not allow patient exposure to be precisely and safely controlled, and often resulted in exposure of medical personnel and contamination of the rooms used for diagnosis. The purpose of this project was therefore to design, produce, deliver, and validate an exposure chamber which allows the exposure of patients and medical personnel to be precisely and safely controlled during the diagnosis of occupational asthma induced by monomeric isocyanates. Once the exposure chamber was installed, a team in the Pneumology Department of Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur validated it clinically with a group of 50 patients referred for diagnosis of isocyanate-induced occupational asthma. Technical support for the installation and implementation of the diagnostic system was provided by IRSST research personnel.