title: Recovery from blast lung injury: one-year follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Blast injury to the lung is one of the devastating threats facing victims of an explosion. Although the pathogenesis of blast injury has been studied, little is known about the long-term effects on lung function in survivors.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To examine the pulmonary function of survivors 1 year after sustaining a blast injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pulmonary function test laboratory at Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eleven surviving victims of a blast injury sustained during a bus terrorist explosion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve months after the injury, physical examinations, lung function tests, and progressive cardiopulmonary exercise examinations were conducted, and chest radiographs were obtained.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age was 28 +/- 9.8 years. Most of the victims had multiple injuries in addition to the lung injury. Ten patients received mechanical ventilation, and 6 patients required chest drainage. All patients were treated in the ICU, with an average stay of 11.8 +/- 9 days. The patients were discharged to their homes or to a rehabilitation center 32.4 +/- 27. 3 days after the explosion. One year later, none had any pulmonary-related complaints. Physical examination of the lungs was normal. Most of the patients demonstrated normal lung function tests and complete resolution of the chest radiograph findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most patients who survive lung blast injury will regain good lung function within a year.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicine, Hadassah University Hospital, Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hirshberg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Oppenheim-Eden
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pizov
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sklair-Levi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rivkin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bardach
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bublil
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sprung
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Kramer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001753:Blast Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005107:Explosions; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests