Bronchial hyperreactivity and other inhalation lung injuries in rescue/recovery workers after the World Trade Center collapse

Abstract

While it is too early to ascertain all of the long-term effects of WTC exposures, continued medical monitoring and treatment is needed to help those exposed and to improve our prevention, diagnosis, and treatment protocols for future disasters.

Pulmonary Function after Exposure to the World Trade Center Collapse in the New York City Fire Department

“…Potential pathogenetic mechanisms for these subacute spirometric decrements include airway inflammation and remodeling (6-8, 19, 35, 36). Our findings that hyperreactivity persisted 2 yr after 09/11/2001 in a smaller FDNY rescue worker cohort may be a sign of persistent inflammation or early remodeling (37). The current investigation does not address how long-term spirometric changes will evolve in the entire WTC-exposed FDNY cohort.…”

Respiratory symptoms, atopy and bronchial hyperreactivity in professional firefighters

“…A season of wildland fire-fighting has been shown to increase airway hyperresponsiveness [9]. Firefighters involved in rescue operations during the World Trade Center attack (New York, NY, USA) in 2001 had a greater annual reduction in FEV1 and FVC [10] and showed persistent airway hyperresponsiveness, which was associated with the intensity of exposure at the disaster site [11][12][13][14].…”

The World Trade Center Aftermath and Its Effects on Health: Understanding and Learning Through Human-Exposure Science

“…More than 25% of those tested who sustained high exposure during Category 1 or 2 exposure periods had demonstrable airway hyperactivity (26,34) that persisted for at least 2 yr, consistent with asthma or RADS (35). Respiratory symptoms, pulmonary function decline, and airway hyperactivity correlated with Unfortunately, the supercoarse particles are not measured by outdoor monitors, and the amount of supercoarse particles that were aerosolized on 9/11 cannot be quantified.…”