[Housing and health counselling services in the management of allergic respiratory disease]. / Le Conseil Habitat-Santé dans la prise en charge des maladies allergiques respiratoires.

INTRODUCTION: Input from Housing and health counselling services is advisable when a patient's health seems to be impaired by their housing conditions. METHODS: 650 home visits have been performed by our organisation since 2002. Each visit includes a questionnaire to assess respiratory as well as non-respiratory indoor risk factors, Acarex test to assess mite-allergen content in mattress dust, mould sampling and, when appropriate, air sampling for measurement of volatile organic compounds and aldehydes. RESULTS: The dwellings studied were mostly flats located in the downtown and occupied by a tenant. In most instances, several health hazards were identified. These hazards, in decreasing occurrence included: mold (74.4%), mite infestation in mattress dust (56.3%), cleaning products accessible to children's'hands (47.8%), dangerous electrical circuits (21.1%), exposure to chemical air pollutants (9.0%), exposure to an electromagnetic field (2.8%). Numerous fungal species were identified often occurring in association. CONCLUSION: This service allowed the identification of numerous and various health hazards. Its efficacy and effectiveness remains to be evaluated.