Soldiers exposed to explosions during war are at increased risk of long-term adverse health outcomes, and better research is needed to understand how such blasts affect health and to learn how to treat veterans with blast exposure, conclude the authors of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report. The report, “Gulf War and Health, Volume 9: Long-Term Effects of Blast Exposures,” released February 13, 2014 rates the strength of scientific evidence on health outcomes from exposure to blasts. It then makes recommendations for research most likely to provide the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) the data it needs to determine how best to prevent blast injuries; diagnose them effectively; and manage, treat, and rehabilitate veterans of battlefield traumas, both in the immediate aftermath of a blast and in the long-term (http://tinyurl.com/oacgkxq).
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0098-7484 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.2014.1993 ID - ref1 ER -