An Observational Study on Diagnoses of 3,233 Gulf Veterans (Op Granby 1990-91) who attended the Ministry of Defence’s Medical Assessment Programme 1993-2004

2005 ◽  
Vol 91 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. J. Bale ◽  
H. A. Lee
Keyword(s):  
Observational Study ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Gulf War ◽  
Skin Disorders ◽  
Medical Assessment ◽  
Gulf War Syndrome ◽  
Respiratory Disorders ◽  
Assessment Programme ◽  
Icd 10 ◽  
Medically Unexplained

SummaryBackgroundThis is the result of an observational study on 3,233 Gulf veterans who have attended our medical assessment programme. We wanted to determine as a result of in-depth interviews, full medical examination and appropriate investigations, whether there was any unique Gulf war related medical condition.MethodsOver a period of 10 years, 3,233 veterans have been assessed. All diagnoses have been made according to ICD-10 classifications. All psychiatric diagnoses have been confirmed by consultant psychiatrists.Findings75% of veterans were well. Of the 25% unwell, 83% of ill health was accounted for by a psychiatric disorder. 3% of veterans had organic conditions which could be linked to Gulf deployment. The most common of these were respiratory disorders, followed by digestive disorders, injuries and skin disorders. Only 11 of these cases could be linked to the use of medical countermeasures. A further, 51 cases (41 respiratory disorders, 6 infections, 2 skin disorders and 2 eye conditions) could be linked to environmental conditions.InterpretationAll veterans seen with health problems could be identified as per ICD-10 classification of disease. We did not find any medically unexplained conditions. We found no evidence of a unique ‘Gulf War Syndrome’.

scholarly journals Health Status and Clinical Diagnoses of 3000 UK Gulf War Veterans

2002 ◽  
Vol 95 (10) ◽  
pp. 491-497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry A Lee ◽  
Roger Gabriel ◽  
J Philip G Bolton ◽  
Amanda J Bale ◽  
Mark Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Gulf War ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Medical Assessment ◽  
Gulf War Syndrome ◽  
Health Service Provision ◽  
Medical Diagnoses ◽  
Gulf War Veterans ◽  
Clinical Diagnoses ◽  
Post Traumatic

Up to June 2001, 3000 British veterans of the Gulf War had sought advice from a special medical assessment programme established because of an alleged Gulf War syndrome. After assessment those attending were classified as completely well, well with symptoms, well with incidental diagnoses treated or controlled, or unwell (physically or mentally). Mental illness was confirmed by a psychiatrist. The first 2000 attenders have been reported previously. The present paper summarizes findings in all 3000. 2252 (75%) of those attending were judged ‘well’, of whom 303 were symptom-free. Medical diagnoses were those to be expected in such an age-group (mean age 34 years, range 21–63). No novel or unusual condition was found. In 604 of the 748 unwell veterans, a substantial element of the illness was psychiatric, the most common condition being post-traumatic stress disorder. The healthcare requirements of the Gulf veterans seen in this programme can therefore be met by standard National Health Service provision.

scholarly journals Clinical findings for the first 1000 Gulf war veterans in the Ministry of Defence's medical assessment programme

BMJ ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 318 (7179) ◽  
pp. 290-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
W J Coker ◽  
B M Bhatt ◽  
N F Blatchley ◽  
J T Graham
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Findings ◽  
Gulf War ◽  
Medical Assessment ◽  
War Veterans ◽  
Gulf War Veterans ◽  
Assessment Programme

scholarly journals Multi-symptom illnesses, unexplained illness and Gulf War Syndrome

2006 ◽  
Vol 361 (1468) ◽  
pp. 543-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalida Ismail ◽  
Glyn Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Medically Unexplained Symptoms ◽  
Epidemiological Studies ◽  
Explanatory Models ◽  
Gulf War ◽  
Gulf War Syndrome ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sociological Factors ◽  
Medically Unexplained ◽  
Unexplained Symptoms

Explanatory models for the increased prevalence of ill health in Gulf veterans compared to those not deployed to the Gulf War 1990–1991 remain elusive. This article addresses whether multi-symptom reporting in Gulf veterans are types of medically unexplained symptoms and whether the alleged Gulf War Syndrome is best understood as a medically unexplained syndrome. A review of the epidemiological studies, overwhelmingly cross-sectional, describing ill health was conducted including those that used factor analysis to search for underlying or latent clinical constructs. The overwhelming evidence was that symptoms in Gulf veterans were either in keeping with currently defined psychiatric disorders such as depression and anxiety or were medically unexplained. The application of factor analysis methods had varied widely with a risk of over interpretation in some studies and limiting the validity of their findings. We concluded that ill health in Gulf veterans and the alleged Gulf War Syndrome is best understood within the medically unexplained symptoms and syndromes constructs. The cause of increased reporting in Gulf veterans are still not clear and requires further inquiry into the interaction between sociological factors and symptomatic distress.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document