Long-term effects of mustard gas on respiratory system of Iranian veterans after Iraq-Iran war: a review.
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To review long-term respiratory effects of mustard gas on Iranian veterans having undergone Iraq-Iran war. Electronic databases of Scopus, Medline, ISI, IranMedex, and Irandoc sites were searched. We accepted articles published in scientific journals as a quality criterion.The main pathogenic factors are free radical mediators. Prevalence of pulmonary involvement is approximately 42.5%. The most common complaints are cough and dyspnea. Major respiratory complications are chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchiectasis, and asthma. Spirometry results can reveal restrictive and obstructive pulmonary disease. Plain chest X-ray does not help in about 50% of lung diseases. High-resolution CT of the lung is the best modality for diagnostic assessment of parenchymal lung and bronchi. There is no definite curative treatment for mustard lung. The effective treatment regimens consist of oxygen administration, use of vaporized moist air, respiratory physiotherapy, administration of mucolytic agents, bronchodilators, corticosteroids, and long-acting beta-2 agonists, antioxidants, surfactant, magnesium ions, therapeutic bronchoscopy, laser therapy, placement of respiratory stents, early tracheostomy in laryngospasm, and ultimately lung transplantation. High-resolution CT of the lung is the most accurate modality for the evaluation of the lung parenchyma and bronchi. The treatment efficacy of patients exposed to mustard gas depends on patient conditions (acute or chronic, upper or lower respiratory tract involvement). There are various treatment protocols, but unfortunately none of them is definitely curable. (+info)
Mortality and injuries among Iranians in Iraq-Iran war: a systematic review.
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Epidemiological study of sarin poisoning in Matsumoto City, Japan.
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On the night of June 27, 1994, about 12 liters of sarin were released by terrorists in Matsumoto City, Japan. In order to investigate the epidemic, community-based questionnaire surveys were conducted. The subjects were all inhabitants (2052 people) living and staying in an area of 1050 meters from north to south and 850 meters from east to west including the sarin release site. Participants included 1743 people who answered the questionnaire at the first survey; those with symptoms were contacted for follow-up at four months and one year after the episode. The number of sarin victims were 471 persons. Muscarinic signs were common to all victims; nicotinic signs were only seen in severely affected victims. The geographical distribution of sarin victims was closely related to the direction of the wind. Three weeks after the intoxication, 129 victims still had some symptoms such as dysesthesia of the extremities. At that time, many victims had begun to experience asthenopia, which was even more frequent at four months. Although victims who felt sarin-related symptoms had decreased by a year, some still had symptoms such as asthenopia. Sarin released in a suburban area affected approximately 500 inhabitants living nearby; some still had symptoms a year after the intoxication. (+info)