Disability secondary to allergic occupational asthma due to textile dust: a Tunisian study over eight years

In textile and clothing industry, inhalation of different dusts at the workplace can cause a number of allergic pathologies. The lung parenchyma and airways, particularly, can be affected by inhaled materials with syndromes manifesting by airway hyper reactivity, especially allergic occupational asthma. This respiratory occupational disease can cause significant morbidity in textile industry workers. This study aims to evaluate the disability associated to allergic occupational asthma among textile workers in central Tunisian. We carried out an 8-year exhaustive retrospective study of patients recognized and compensated for occupational asthma in central Tunisia by the medical commissions empowered to fix the permanent partial disability rate for victims of accidents at work and occupational diseases in the center of Tunisia. A pre-established form was used to collect data related to patients' socio-professional and clinical data extracted from the medical record of the of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF). these data were supplemented by a telephone interview with the patient whenever necessary. In total, during the study period, 86 industrial textile workers were compensated for allergic occupational asthma, which represent of 16% of all patient compensated by the commission for any occupational disease during the study period and 86% of compensated patient for respiratory occupational disease for the same period. The mean age was 41.24 ±7.15 with extremes ranging from 22 to 57 years. A female predominance was noted with a sex ratio of 0.28. Non-specific bronchial hyperreactivity was objective among 22% with an average dose of metacholine 57.,21±501,529μg [91-1500]. No specific provocation test was performed for any patient. The average rate of permanent partial disability was 30,39±18,49% [0-75%]. The quarter of the patients had left the textile sector. According to the analytical analysis, this disability rate was correlated, with the patient age. Moreover, work maintaining in textile sector was correlated with low rates of permanent partial disability. This study revealed the importance of the disability and impacts on income and the maintain at employment of patient suffering of occupational allergic asthma in textile sector. In addition, it emphasized the necessity of reducing the exposition level to textile dust and other allergens in this sector