The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #70777

Sherry Baron¹, Stephan Levin, MD², Robin Herbert, MD³, David Prezant, MD⁴, Kerry Kelly, MD⁴, Bruce Bernard, MD¹, Richard Driscoll, PhD¹, and Loren Tapp, MD¹. (1) National Institute for Occupational Safety and health, 4676 Columbia Parkway R-10, Cincinnati, OH 45220, 513 458-7159, sbaron@cdc.gov, (2) Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, (3) Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, Box 1057, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029, (4) New York City Fire Department, 9 Metrotech Center, New York, NY 11201

In the 18 months since the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11th 2001 a number of medical screening and assessment studies have been conducted which better define the type and magnitude of both physical and mental health consequences for those who had work-related exposure during and shortly after the WTC collapse. This 90 minute session will include presentations summarizing the findings from several of these studies. The first presentation will describe the pulmonary and mental health effects that have been documented among the 10,000 New York City firefighters. The second presentation will describe physical and mental health outcomes from a large screening program of 9,000 WTC rescue, recovery and restoration workers conducted at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. The third presentation will provide results from an assessment by Mt. Sinai Medical Center of the pulmonary health effects for the iron workers who worked on the rubble pile. Finally a group of presentations will provide results from a questionnaire survey by NIOSH of more than a thousand public school workers, community college workers, office workers and transit workers employed in buildings located a few blocks from the WTC site. All of these studies have shown significant upper and lower respiratory health symptoms and/or physical examination abnormalities as well as elevated rates of post traumatic stress syndrome and depression. Following the presentations, there will be a panel discussion of lessons learned and future needs for long term assessment and follow up of workers.

Learning Objectives:

• understand the methods used for screening exposed workers
• understand the types of health effects resulting from exposures at the world trade center
• understand methods used to follow workers over time
• be able to develop similar programs for workers exposed in the future

Keywords: Health Assessment, Occupational Health Programs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.