Burn Pit Emissions Exposure and Respiratory and Cardiovascular Conditions Among Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry Participants

Liu, Jason; Lezama, Nicholas G.; Gasper, Joseph; Kawata, Jennifer H.; Morley, Sybil W; Helmer, Drew A.; Ciminera, Paul

doi:10.1097/jom.0000000000000776

Cited by 46 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Another study found a consistent and significant pattern of prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma in IAVs between 2003 to 2011 [6]. In self-reported burn pit smoke exposure, the majority of the health problems correlated with self-reported occurrence of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, COPD and hypertension, although no documentation of significant dose-response association was found [10]. Studies of the VA registry findings suggest that asthma and chronic bronchitis were associated with dust storm exposure than open burn pits; however, it should be noted that these data are less reliable due to the nature of the voluntary registry [11].…”

Section: Health Problems Associated With Burn Pitsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Critical Analysis of the Healthcare Response to Burn-Pit-Related Illnesses for Post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

Lim¹,

Tayyeb²

2019

OJEM

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A serious concern among post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans (IAV) are health conditions from military and environmental exposure while serving. Many veterans are becoming suddenly ill and experiencing symptoms that have been associated with exposure to burning trash or "burn pits" set up to destroy waste produced by the military. IAVs are exhibiting respiratory conditions and other numerous health issues from exposure to burn pits during deployments. From the US military operations to the Middle East, 70% of the military personnel reported respiratory illnesses, with 17% experiencing symptoms serious enough to require medical care. Despite growing concerns, little research has been conducted on the health conditions of returning veterans. Many veterans have difficulty gaining appropriate access to care, unable to travel long distances to Veterans health facility, or have to deal with long wait times to see a provider. As a result, many veterans utilize civilian emergency rooms and healthcare facilities. Most healthcare facilities are not familiar with military-related health conditions. To address and prevent delays in care, it is helpful to have a veteran-specific screener questionnaire at the point of healthcare access. Getting a better understanding of the background and history of veterans can aid in accurately triaging this community and lead to better health care outcomes. Collecting and maintaining data regarding health issues that can arise from burn pit exposures can help direct the care of this specific community of veterans. In seeking to improve the understanding of IAV health issues from exposure to burn pits, the aim of this article is to help educate and raise awareness, and assist health care professionals to better triage and direct the care or resources necessary to help this underserved and at-risk community of our veterans.

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Section: Health Problems Associated With Burn Pitsmentioning

confidence: 97%

Critical Analysis of the Healthcare Response to Burn-Pit-Related Illnesses for Post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

Lim¹,

Tayyeb²

2019

OJEM

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“…The Iraq War presented with its own unique history and characteristics. For example, an important consideration when assessing the epidemiologic risks attributed to the Iraq War is the "shock and awe" theory [6]. This framework posits that thousands of pounds in hazardous agents, such as burn pit residual, military waste, and chemical weapons, accumulated or leaked into the sand over the course of the current and previous deployments to the region, and thus posed a cumulative inhalation/contact hazard.…”

Section: Unique Aspects Of the Iraq Warmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Airborne toxins represent the main class of exposures reported by those who served in the Iraq theater of war and counterinsurgency effort [6,7]. This includes contaminated particulate matter from frequent dust storms, combat-related smoke from ground ordnance and air strikes, as well as near-field (on-base) contact with oil-well fires, diesel fumes, and open-air burn pits [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A Pilot Study of Airborne Hazards and Other Toxic Exposures in Iraq War Veterans

Poisson

Boucher

Selby

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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During their deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), many Veterans were exposed to a wide array of toxic substances and psychologic stressors, most notably airborne/environmental pollutants from open burn pits. Service members do not deploy whilst unhealthy, but often they return with a multitude of acute and chronic symptoms, some of which only begin to manifest years after their deployment. Our findings, while preliminary in nature, suggest that Iraq War Veterans who participated in our survey reported a decrease in overall physical fitness and increased respiratory clinical symptoms compared with pre-deployment periods. The objective of this report is to provide information that will benefit how combat Veterans are cared for post-deployment. Strategies for a wider and more comprehensive assessment and medical screening process post-deployment are recommended.

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“…5 Research by Liu et al demonstrated that exposure to burn pits among military personnel increased the risk of respiratory conditions such as COPD. 6 A separate study indicated that the rates of emphysema and chronic bronchitis were highest among Army personnel and, in comparison, significantly lower among Air Force and Marine Corps service members. 7 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Diagnosing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans: Veterans Affair's Concordance With Clinical Guidelines for Spirometry Administration

Schneiderman¹,

Dougherty

Fonseca

et al. 2017

Military Medicine

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Background Early diagnosis and treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can slow disease progression. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)/Department of Defense Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG), established to improve patient outcomes, recommend the use of spirometry in the COPD diagnostic process. The aims of this study were to assess VA health care providers’ performance related to CPG-recommended spirometry administration in the evaluation of newly diagnosed COPD among veterans, determine the patient characteristics that may influence the adherence rate, and compare VA concordance rates to those of other health plans. Methods Administrative health care data related to Operations Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom/New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) veterans was used to identify newly diagnosed COPD cases and the proportion of cases receiving spirometry. Cases were defined as veterans who had their first medical encounter with a coded diagnosis of COPD ≥ 6 months after their initial VA health care evaluation. The relationship between prediagnostic and comorbid conditions and the administration of CPG-concordant spirometry was examined using regression analyses. Findings Among the 923,646 OEF/OIF/OND veterans receiving VA health care between January 2002 and December 2014, 32,076 (3%) had a coded diagnosis of COPD. Among those, 22,156 (69%) were identified as newly diagnosed COPD cases; only 6,827 (31%) had CPG-concordant spirometry. Concordant spirometry was more likely to occur in veterans aged ≥40. A pre-existing tobacco use disorder marginally changed the concordance rate. Discussion VA provider adherence to CPG-concordant spirometry would decrease the prevalence of false-positive COPD cases and lead to more targeted disease treatment. Future research should focus on such cases by assessing the association between COPD diagnosis and bronchodilator responsiveness.

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Burn Pit Emissions Exposure and Respiratory and Cardiovascular Conditions Among Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry Participants

Cited by 46 publications

References 17 publications

Critical Analysis of the Healthcare Response to Burn-Pit-Related Illnesses for Post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

Critical Analysis of the Healthcare Response to Burn-Pit-Related Illnesses for Post-9/11 Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans

A Pilot Study of Airborne Hazards and Other Toxic Exposures in Iraq War Veterans

Diagnosing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans: Veterans Affair's Concordance With Clinical Guidelines for Spirometry Administration

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