Health and Exposure Concerns of Veterans Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan

Objective: We report the clinical concerns of US veterans of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom evaluated at the New Jersey War-Related Illness and Injury Study Center (NJ WRIISC) between June 2004 and January 2006.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective chart review of veterans' health and exposure concerns.

Results: Veterans (n=56) reported an average of 4 (standard deviation [SD] = 2.1; range, 0-9) physical health concerns, and 2.7 (SD=2.3; range, 0-10) exposure concerns. The majority of veterans (55%) had a mental health concern, most commonly, posttraumatic stress disorder. The most common exposure concerns were depleted uranium, multiple vaccinations, and poor air quality. Greater proportions of Reserve veterans reported genitourinary concerns and exposure to smoke from burning trash than active duty veterans.

Conclusions: Veterans of military operations in Southwest Asia have deployment-related health and exposure concerns that will need to be addressed by their ambulatory care physicians.