Posted by CNN (165.247.14.61) on October 29, 2001 at 18:25:40:
Firefighters to be checked for 'WTC cough'
October 29, 2001 Posted: 1:05 PM EST (1805 GMT)
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Firefighters who raced to the World Trade Center collapse last month will be checked for respiratory problems.
Starting today, the nearly 11,000 firefighters who responded to the attack will undergo screening.
Dr. David Prezant, chief pulmonologist for the
New York Fire Department, said there has been an
increase in the number of cases he calls the "World
Trade Center cough."
The symptoms have been as severe as respiratory
distress requiring mechanical ventilation, while
most have a cough with or without associated sinus
infection.
While Prezant is hesitant to refer to the problem as
a "syndrome," he said there has been a sudden
increase in respiratory problems and up to 40
percent of the respondents need medical care and
treatment for their breathing problems.
The health surveillance screening program will
target 150 to 170 firefighters a day for the next two
months.
The specific tests will include lung function tests,
chest X-rays, electrocardiograms, hearing tests and
blood work, including screening for heavy metal
contamination and PCBs. Firefighters and other
rescue personnel, including EMTs and paramedics,
will also begin educational and counseling sessions
about post-traumatic stress disorder and other effects the events of September 11 may have on their physical and emotional lives.