اثرات درازمدت گازهاي جنگي بر دستگاه تنفسي مصدومين جنگي

Long - term effects of exposure to chemical warfare on the respiratory system of war victims

To determine the long - term effects of chemical warfare on respiratory system this study was designed. To achieve this goal, 220 victims of imposed war, were studied after 6-13 years of exposure. All patients were physically examined, then radiologic and pulmonary function tests were taken. The results were compared with the findings of 92 healthy male who had applied for employing or those were undertaken a selective operation. The findings of clinical examination, chest radiographs and pulmonary function test (PFT) showed that, the majority of patients had non-specific symptoms such as cough, wheezing and dyspnea. Non-specific changes in chest radiographs were seen in 64%) whereas, only 13% had specific changes. Significant clinical symptoms such as hemoptysis and respiratory distress were seen in 5% of patients. PFT was the best diagnostic method with 60% abnormal findings that showing obstructive or restrictive lung diseases. Compared with un-exposed controls, about half of the exposed patients revealed mild to moderate obstructive lung disease which was responsive to bronchodilator only in 30% of cases. These findings show that a long time, after exposure to chemical warfare, obstructive lung disease will be present in a remarkable number of victims with non-specific respiratory symptoms and can be diagnosed by PFT.