Sostek M B, Jackson S, Linevsky J K, Schimmel E M, Fincke B G
Department of Medicine, Boston Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Massachusetts, USA.
Am J Gastroenterol. 1996 Dec;91(12):2494-7.
To determine the prevalence and spectrum of GI complaints in a group of Persian Gulf veterans (PGV) and to compare these data to a group of veterans (controls) from the same unit who were not deployed to the Persian Gulf region.
A 68-item survey was distributed to 136 members of a single National Guard Unit. The survey asked the veterans to rate the frequency of GI symptoms before, during, and after the Persian Gulf war had concluded. The participants were also asked to rate frequency of 10 non-GI symptoms at the time of this survey.
Fifty-seven PGV and 44 nondeployed veterans participated in the survey. Before the Persian Gulf war, both PGV and control groups reported low frequencies of GI symptoms. A majority of the PGV experienced GI symptoms during their deployment to the Gulf region, which persisted after their return to the United States. There were many significant differences observed between the two groups in frequency of both GI and non-GI symptoms. The greatest differences seen were for excessive gas, loose or greater than three stools per day, incomplete rectal evacuation, and abdominal pain.
A high prevalence of chronic GI symptoms exists in this group of PGV and is significantly greater than a group of controls. The most prevalent chronic GI symptoms are those that have been associated with functional GI disorders. However, the abrupt onset and clustering in this group suggests that nonfunctional etiologies may be contributing factors.
确定一组波斯湾退伍军人（PGV）胃肠道不适的患病率和症状谱，并将这些数据与同一部队中未部署到波斯湾地区的一组退伍军人（对照组）进行比较。
向一个国民警卫队单位的136名成员发放了一份包含68个条目的调查问卷。该问卷要求退伍军人对波斯湾战争之前、期间和结束之后胃肠道症状的发生频率进行评分。同时，还要求参与者对本次调查时10种非胃肠道症状的发生频率进行评分。
57名PGV和44名未部署的退伍军人参与了调查。在波斯湾战争之前，PGV组和对照组报告的胃肠道症状发生频率均较低。大多数PGV在部署到海湾地区期间出现了胃肠道症状，回国后这些症状仍然存在。两组在胃肠道和非胃肠道症状的发生频率上存在许多显著差异。观察到的最大差异在于肠胃胀气过多、每天大便稀溏或超过三次、直肠排空不完全以及腹痛。
这组PGV中慢性胃肠道症状的患病率很高，且显著高于对照组。最常见的慢性胃肠道症状与功能性胃肠疾病有关。然而，该组症状的突然发作和聚集表明非功能性病因可能也是促成因素。
