Venn A J, Guest C S
Department of Community Medicine, University of Melbourne, Carlton, Vic.
Med J Aust. 1991 Nov 18;155(10):705-7, 710-2.
This report is the first summary article from a review of studies on long-term morbidity associated with war service or internment, commissioned by the Sir Edward Dunlop Medical Research Foundation.
The Medlars database, from 1966 to the present, under the terms military personnel, veterans, veterans' disability claims, combat disorders and prisoners (matched against war); databases of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (Victoria) and the Central Library, Commonwealth Department of Defence, using the term "prisoner of war"; and the microfiche listings of the Department of Veterans' Affairs, under "prisoner of war" and "repatriation". Only studies in English or French were reviewed, reaching a total of 172.
Forty-eight studies are considered in the present summary, presenting the most significant evidence about long-term morbidity attributable to war-time experiences. Studies concerning Australian veterans are emphasised.
Studies considered valid were summarised for an annotated bibliography, but only reports of major public health significance are reviewed here.
The review confirms that strongyloidiasis, peptic ulcer, anxiety states, depression and hepatitis B are more prevalent in former prisoners of war than in relevant comparison groups. We have not identified further diagnoses that should be attributed specifically to war-time exposures. Attribution of long-term neurological and musculoskeletal disorders to war-time exposures remains uncertain.
Former prisoners of war and veterans constitute a population of survivors highly selected by the rigours of war and imprisonment. Occurrence of the five conditions listed above may be reasonably attributed to war-time exposure. We recommend further research on ageing (including neurological, visual, hearing and musculoskeletal disability), family disruption and rehabilitation strategies in these groups.
本报告是由爱德华·邓洛普爵士医学研究基金会委托撰写的，关于战争服役或拘留相关长期发病率研究综述的首篇总结文章。
1966年至今的医学文献分析和检索系统（MEDLARS）数据库，检索词为军事人员、退伍军人、退伍军人残疾索赔、战斗障碍和囚犯（与战争匹配）；维多利亚州退伍军人事务部和联邦国防部中央图书馆的数据库，检索词为“战俘”；以及退伍军人事务部缩微胶片清单，检索词为“战俘”和“遣返”。仅对英文或法文研究进行了综述，共172项。
本总结考虑了48项研究，呈现了关于战时经历所致长期发病率的最显著证据。重点关注了与澳大利亚退伍军人相关的研究。
对被认为有效的研究进行了总结，形成了一份带注释的文献目录，但此处仅回顾了具有重大公共卫生意义的报告。
该综述证实，与相关对照组相比，前战俘中类圆线虫病、消化性溃疡、焦虑症、抑郁症和乙型肝炎更为普遍。我们尚未发现应特别归因于战时暴露的其他诊断。长期神经和肌肉骨骼疾病与战时暴露之间的关联仍不确定。
前战俘和退伍军人是经历战争和监禁严酷考验后高度精选出的幸存者群体。上述五种病症的发生可能合理地归因于战时暴露。我们建议对这些群体的老龄化（包括神经、视觉、听力和肌肉骨骼残疾）、家庭破裂和康复策略进行进一步研究。
