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Respiratory, mental health problems found in WTC rescue/recovery workers

Physician Practice Advisor, September 21, 2004

Nearly half of more than 1,000 screened rescue and recovery workers and volunteers who responded to the World Trade Center attacks have new and persistent respiratory problems, and more than half have persistent psychological symptoms, according to preliminary data from a medical screening program funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administered by the Mount Sinai Medical Center.

The findings released September 9 in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report are based on evaluation of data from 1,138 participants (91% were men and the median age was 41) who voluntarily enrolled in the World Trade Center Worker and Volunteer Medical Screening Program. Besides respiratory and mental health effects, program participants also reported lower back and upper or lower extremity pain, heartburn, eye irritation, and frequent headache.

The reports on World Trade Center-related physical and mental health effects in rescue and recovery workers and volunteers are available at www.cdc.gov. For more information about the Mount Sinai medical screening program, visit www.wtcexams.org.

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