Health Problems in Survivors Exposed to Sulfur Mustard With Severe Respiratory Complications Publisher



Soroush MR¹ ; Akhavizadegan H² ; Mousavi B³ Show Affiliations
Source: Iranian Journal of War and Public Health Published:2021

Abstract

Aims: The complications of sulfur mustard (SM) in lungs, eyes, and skin of exposed survivors have already been studied. This study evaluates health problems of other than the usual affected organs in survivors with severe respiratory injuries. Instruments & Methods: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 292 chemical warfare veterans with severe pulmonary complications due to exposure to sulfur mustard were examined by two physicians in 2016. Health problems in the veterans were recorded and a clinical examination was performed. Data using SPSS software version 2016 and Chi-square test and Lambda correlation coefficient were analyzed. Findings: The most common problems of chemical warfare victims with severe pulmonary complications were related to musculoskeletal problems 92.1% (low back pain 68.8%), neurological system 88.4%(headache 78.1%), auditory system 81.8%(Hearing loss 62%), gastrointestinal tract 78.1% (reflux 74.3%), kidney and urinary tract (65.1%), cardiovascular (52.4%), immune system disorders (43.4%) and infertility 10.6%. The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure of the veterans were 121.1±14.7 and 79.7±8.8mmHg, respectively. Most of them were under treatment of respiratory corticosteroids (72.2%) and oral corticosteroids (45%). There were no significant relationships between gender, age, frequency of exposure to sulfur mustard, and the prevalence of physical complaints and musculoskeletal diseases, nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, and hearing loss (p>0.05). Conclusion: The most important health problems were musculoskeletal, neurological, hearing loss, and gastrointestinal problems. Moreover, the rate of using corticosteroids was very high while the rate of Infertility was less prevalent than previous studies. These results will help investment policies aiming at considering future health promotion planning. Copyright © 2020, ASP Ins.