Violence injuries of Iraqi children

Iraqi Children suffered injuries during 1991 Gulf war. This was followed by suffering for 13 years from the effect of economic sanctions. The 2003 military invasion and occupation by coalition forces added more death and injuries. We wanted to know how frequent physical injuries were to Iraqi children, and how inflicted and what the consequences were. Mothers who were admitted with their children to the Children Welfare Hospital, Baghdad, in the period July 1-December 31, 2004, were interviewed about violence to their children, relatives, and neighbours that they had witnessed. Of the 218 mothers interviewed, 50 witnessed injuries [23%]; 28 of those who witnessed injuries were from the city of Baghdad and 22 from towns in the central part of the country. Twenty two injuries were by gunshots, 14 by aerial attack or tank bombs, and others were due to explosions. Head injuries were the most common. Twenty of the injured children recovered with no disability, two lost fingers, two got blind, two were limping, and one had persistent backache. Iraqi Children were commonly victims of violence during invasion and occupation of Iraq. There seems to be inadequate protection for children during the years 2003-2004

Secular trend of infant mortality rate during wars and sanctions in Western Iraq

To study the infant mortality rate [IMR] trend during wars and sanction periods in Western Iraq. Data collected from the birth and death certificates of Haditha Health Vital Statistics Center, Haditha city [80,000 population], Western Iraq, included name, age, gender, residence, and infant's place and date of births and deaths, in 5 different sanction and war stages of the country from 1987 to 2010, in a study period from July to December, 2010. The IMRs were analyzed and compared between these stages and with other studies. The IMR of last 2 years of the Iraq-Iran war [1980-1988] was 35.6/1000 and 33.8/1000, this decreased in the war free period [1989-1990] to 28.6/1000, then increased during the sanction period [1991-2003] to 46/1000 in 2002, decreased to 16/1000 in 2006 during no sanctions but increased violence, then increased to 24.5/1000 in 2010. Approximately two-thirds of deaths occurred during the neonatal period, and one third in the post neonatal periods. Males had higher IMR than females, and rural residence higher than urban. Economic sanctions increased IMR more than wars or violence in Haditha city. When compared with other parts of Iraq, and despite the different conflicts that faced the country during the 24 studied years, Haditha had a lower IMR, however, this was still higher than developed, and many developing countries

La enfermedad del Golfo Pérsico es todavía un enigma para la medicina militar / The Persian Gulf illness is still an enigma for military medicine

El artículo abarca un conjunto seleccionado por los autores de las publicaciones indexadas, que con respecto a eventos de salud relacionados con los veteranos de la Guerra del Golfo Pérsico permitan recopilar nuevas evidencias para una mejor comprensión de esta condición de salud, que en los momentos actuales se considera dentro de la categoría de múltiples síntomas inexplicados (MUS), conjuntamente con la fatiga crónica y la fibromialgia. Lamentablemente, las relaciones de causalidad entre factores diversos que obran en el complejo mundo patogenético y fisiopatológico que constituye la enfermedad del Golfo aún quedan por establecerse de una forma inequívoca. La evidencia clínica aún carece de un sustento repetible y, a medida que envejecen las diversas cohortes de veteranos que participaron en el evento (18 años), lógicamente se superponen hechos biológicos relacionados con el natural deterioro que impone la edad y con los recursos (fondos) para investigaciones muy costosas, que a los países participantes en esto no les interesa destinar

Present paper embrace a set - selected by the authors - of the indexing publications that regarding the health events related to Persian Gulf War veterans allow to collect new evidences for a better comprehension of this health condition, which in nowadays is considered into the category of multiple unexplained symptoms (MUS) together with the chronic fatigue and the bibromyalgia. Lamentably, the causal relations among different factors functioning in the complex pathogenetic and physiopathologic world that is the Persian Gulf illness must to be established in an unequivocal way. The clinical evidence still is lack of a repetitive support, and insofar as the different group of veterans grew old present in this event (18 years), logically there are superimposed biological facts related to the natural deterioration imposed by age and with resources (funds) used in very expensive researches in which the involved countries are not interested

Low birth weight in western Iraq

In Iraq, several reports documented an increase in the prevalence of low birth weight [LBW] in the last 3 decades. This study was carried out to report on the rate of LBW in western Iraq during the period of widespread violence. All singleton live births in Al-Ramadi Maternity and Pediatrics hospital during the period of 1 st April to 1st October 2006, were included in the study. All the neonates were checked for birth weight and the expanded parelled was used to assess gestational age. Multiple logistic regressions was used to estimate odd ratio for LBW. A total of 400 singleton live birth were included in the study. Over all 31% of were LBW, and 67% of them were preterm. Maternal age, parties, education, lack of antenatal care and history of LBW and prematurity were risk factors. LBW and preterm birth neonates are still highly prevalent in Iraq and reflect the effect of sanctions, Gulf wars and widespread violence

Anthracotic mediastinal lymphadenopathy: case report

We report the case of a male patient, known to have rheumatic mitral valve disease, who presented to us with huge mediastinal lymphadenopathy and dry cough. He was a life-time non-smoker and the only past medical history was his exposure to smoke during the Gulf war in 1991. This patient was in Kuwait during the Iraqi invasion and had a continuous exposure to the polluted environment. Mediastinoscopic lymph node biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of anthracotic reactive lymphadenopathy and excluded other causes. Anthracotic pigmentation is a common finding in mediastinal lymph node biopsies especially in smokers, but symptomatic huge lymphadenopathy was rarely reported. This observation and its correlation to the gulf war are also not reported in the literature

T lymphocyte activation profiles in peripheral blood of long- versus short-term residents of Kuwait: comparison with asthmatics

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>During the Arabian Gulf Wars of 1991 and 2003, the resident population of Kuwait sustained heavy exposure to environmental toxicants introduced by military activities. No comprehensive studies have been conducted to assess how exposure to the wartime and postwar environment may have altered the fundamental patterns of immune reactivity among Kuwaitis in ways that affect pathogenesis of disease. This present study addresses this issue by characterising immunological features of asthma and allergies in a Kuwaiti population that is unique and possibly correlates with toxicant exposures.</p><p><b>MATERIALS AND METHODS</b>Twenty-fi ve long-term residents of Kuwait afflicted with bronchial asthma concurrent with rhinitis; and 2 healthy control groups: 18 long-term residents and 10 newcomers to Kuwait were evaluated by 2- and 3-colour fl ow cytometry for peripheral blood T cell subpopulation frequencies.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Relative to healthy, long-term residents, significantly elevated frequencies of all activated cell phenotypes were observed in the blood of the asthmatic group (P <0.05 to P <0.001), except for CD8+HLA-DR+ cells and a presumed T-regulatory (Treg) subpopulation: CD4+CD25(high). The asthmatic group was also observed to have larger populations of CD3+ (pan-T cells), CD4+ (T helper cells) and CD8+ (cytotoxic T cells), CD3+CD56 (NKT-like cells) and CD56+CD16+ (NK cells) compared to healthy long-term residents. Compared to healthy recent immigrants, the blood of long-term residents contained elevated levels of CD3+CD56+ (NK-like), CD4+CD45RA+/ CD45RO+ (Naive-to-Memory Transitional), but lower CD4+CD25+(high) (Treg) (P <0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Elevated representation of natural killer (NKT)-like and memory phenotypes may predispose long-term residents towards enhanced susceptibility for airway disease; while at the same time, reducing representation of Treg cells which are protective against airway disease, and this may increase vulnerability to these syndromes among the residents of Kuwait. These results may provide insight into the features of immunopathogenesis of asthma and allergies in Kuwait that arise as a result of the special environment of the country.</p>

War-related mental health disorders among Iraqis 10 years after the 1991 gulf war: a comparative study of soldiers and civilians living under sustained socio-environmental stress

Prior studies of mental health consequences of the Gulf War [GW] have been confined to Allied forces, limiting the ability to control for important geographically and culturally-related factors. We conducted an epidemiological mental health study among Iraqi soldiers and civilians who are still residing in Iraq. This group has been exposed to sustained socio-environmental stress. A cross-sectional sample of 742 Iraqi GW veterans and 413 civilians responded to a validated mental health survey. The response rate was 96.3%. Mental health disorders, including post traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], were classified using both self-reports and validated scales. War-related exposure was calculated using the sum score of items assessing trauma exposure. Iraqi soldiers reported significantly more depression [Odds Ratio [OR] 4.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.2-11.1] and anxiety [OR 3.9; 95% CI, 1.2-13.3] compared to civilians, adjusting for age, education, and smoking. Soldiers closest to Kuwait during the GW reported significantly more depression compared to soldiers deployed further away from the war epicenter [OR 104.6; 95% CI, 28.0-390.8] and anxiety [OR 4.1; 95% CI, 1.5-11.1]. The highest self-reported trauma exposure occurred in the southwest of Iraq. Iraqi soldiers that took part in the GW are at increased risk suffering from many of the same mental health disorders plaguing Allied soldiers. Soldiers closest to Kuwait were more at risk, suggesting a direct link to war-specific environmental exposures, although self-reported trauma exposure was higher in the southwest of Iraq. The study offers additional insights into the mental health consequences of living under sustained socio-environmental stress, originating from the Iraqi war. The study points out socio-environmental factors worthy of further explorations

Prevalence of koposi's sarcoma in north of Iraq after the second gulf war 1991

Is to show the marked increase in the incidence of Kaposi's sarcoma specially atypical fulminating forms in the north provinces of Iraq after the Second Gulf War 1991. A retrospective comparative study of 404 patients with the diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma [372 men and 32 women], their ages ranged between 54 and 75 years, admitted to the surgical and dermatological departments in north provinces from June 1994 till September 2004. The clinical presentation of the patients, hematological and serological investigations, imaging and radiological studies were considered in all the cases. Final diagnosis was established by hitopathological examinations. Patients with the diagnosis of Kaposi's sarcoma were divided into 3 main groups according to the clinical and pathological behavior of the disease: Group I, [276 patients, 68.3%] with typical classical type of Kaposi's sarcoma, and group II [116 patients, 28.7%] with atypical fulminating types [lymph-adenopathic; African], and group III [12patients, 1.9%] with immunosuppresion associated [transplant] form of disease were studied. The diagnosis was confirmed by histological examinations of the skin, oral lesions, bronchial and visceral lesions. 44 patients underwent explorative laparotomies and diagnostic laparoscopy because of the dominancy of the abdominal symptoms and signs, 40 of them required more than one surgical intervention because of widespread of the tumor. Local statistical data collected from the tumor registration centers in north of Iraq revealed that the incidence of KS in North of Iraq [Mousl, Erbil, and Dohuk] between years 1980-1990 was 0.6 per 100000 populations, while the incidence became 3.6 per 100000 populations between years 1991-2004 [6 folds increase] after the Second Gulf War 1991. Chest and visceral involvement by KS was extremely rare before nineties, but in the last 10 years the incidence of visceral presentations with a typical fulminating forms of Kaposi's sarcoma was frequent

Psychiatric disorders among adolescent Jordanian returnees from Kuwait during the 1991 Gulf War

Adolescent Jordanian returnees from Kuwait during the 1991 Gulf War were expected to have elevated rates of psychiatric disorders, therefore their mental health status was examined. We evaluated 1376 newly enrolled students in two public universities in northern Jordan using an Arabic translation of the self-administered General Health Questionnaire. The overall rate of psychiatric disorders among the study sample was 23.3%; the rate among adolescent returnees [30.8%] was significantly higher than among other adolescents [22.4%]. Although psychiatric disorders were generally common among Jordanian adolescents, the exposure of Jordanian children in Kuwait to the Gulf War was still detrimental to their mental health status as adolescents

Epidemiological Researches on the Health Hazards in Veterans of United States of America / 한국역학회지

The Department of Veterans Affairs(VA) maintains some large automated databases that provide the opportunity for studying long-term health effects of military service. The Beneficiary Identification and Record Locator Subsystem(BIRLS) is an excellent source of vital status information on veterans. The VA Patient Treatment File(PTF) is a computerized hospital discharge abstract system of inpatient records, including patients' demographic data, surgical and procedural transactions, and patient movements and diagnosis. The computerized Agent Orange Registry data include veteran's name, address, some information on military service, and findings at the time of his physical examination. The US conducted 235 atmospheric nuclear tests from 1945 through 1962. Many of the 250,000 test participants were exposed to low levels of radiation. The overall average radiation dose was estimated as 0.6 rem per year. In 1976, a claim relating acute myelocytic leukemia to radiation exposure from nuclear weapon testing received extensive publicity. Several thousand "atomic veterans" have sought medical care and compensation from VA for medical conditions that they believe are related to the nuclear weapon testing. Many WWII veterans have contracted the US VA about health problems that they attribute to their exposure to mustard gas. From 1962 to 1971, 75 million liters of herbicides, including over 41 million liters of the phenoxy herbicide Agent Orange, were sprayed on almost 9% of Vietnam. Many studies have been conducted to determine the association of various cancers with military service in Vietnam. Some diseases have been compensated for Vietnam veterans. Health problems reported following the Gulf War include a wide variety of symptoms similar to those found in acute combat reaction, posttraumatic stress disorder, and chronic fatigue. Health problems associated with war have continued and in some ways intensified. Therefore, The United States developed a plan for establishing a national center for the study of war-related illnesses and post-deployment health issues.