In a recent prospective evaluation of new-onset respiratory symptoms in 50 military personnel returning from deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, which of the following pulmonary findings was most common?
The recent deployment of military personnel to southwest Asia has raised concerns related to the respiratory effects of exposure to geologic dusts and particulate matter from waste disposal burn pits. While there has been a documented increase in nonspecific respiratory symptoms among soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is insufficient evidence to support a causal association between specific exposures and any particular disease entities.
In an effort to characterize symptom etiology, a recent prospective study evaluated military recruits returning from a six-month deployment in Iraq or Afghanistan who exhibited new-onset respiratory symptoms. Participants with a predeployment history of pulmonary or cardiac disease were excluded. Patients were evaluated by means of spirometry, methacholine challenge testing, flexible bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage, high-resolution...
