Evolution of lower respiratory symptoms in New York police officers after 9/11: a prospective longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE
We studied the evolution of lower respiratory symptoms at 1 month (initial) and 19 months (follow-up) after the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 (9/11).


METHODS
A total of 1588 New York police officers completed initial self-administered questionnaires. The level of 9/11 exposure and pre-9/11 health was available in 1373. Of those, 471 (426 with no pre-9/11 chronic respiratory disease) completed a follow-up telephone survey.


RESULTS
Prevalence of cough was 43.5% at both initial and follow-up assessments, but increased were the prevalence of phlegm (14.4% to 30.7%, P<0.001), shortness of breath (18.9% to 43.6%, P<0.001), and wheeze (13.1% to 25.9%, P<0.001). Rates of delayed-onset (present on follow-up assessment only) cough, phlegm, shortness of breath, and wheeze were 21%, 21.9%, 31.7%, and 17.3%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Most of the lower respiratory symptoms increased between 1 month and 19 months after 9/11.
Buyantseva
Larisa V
LV
Department of Medicine, Penn State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033, USA.
Tulchinsky
Mark
M
Kapalka
George M
GM
Chinchilli
Vernon M
VM
Qian
Zhengmin
Z
Gillio
Robert
R
Roberts
Arthur
A
Bascom
Rebecca
R
D000328:Adult; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D019570:Inhalation Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000145:classification*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016495:Police; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks; D012906:Smoke / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015208:Smoke Inhalation Injury / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D012906:Smoke