Abstract
Background: Sulfur mustard (SM) is an alkylating agent with numerous early and late complications. Definite diagnosis of SM is highly recommended.This objective analysis reports chemical injury in patients with previous injury by SM and related disorders.
Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study 616 consecutive subjects attending to a training center in Tehran, Iran, were enrolled. These subjects were evaluated by both subjective (according to their statements) and objective assessment (according to blood level of carboxy-hemoglobin).
Results: Totally, 26.5% had definite SM exposure, 32.1% had no definite exposure to SM, and 41.4% were declaimed SM exposure. In comparison with the self-report of exposure and CO results, a significant association was found between these two measures (P=0.001). When the results were stratified by smoking status, it was found that this association was present again in never and former smokers (P=0.001); but not in the current smokers (P=0.066).
Conclusions: Measurement of carboxy-hemoglobin is a proper way for primary documentation of cases who declaim exposure to sulfur mustard with especial reference to smoking status.
- Copyright ©ERS 2015