Elevated prevalence of hepatitis C infection in users of United States veterans medical centers.

Several studies suggest veterans have a higher prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection than nonveterans, possibly because of military exposures. The purpose of this study was to estimate the prevalence of anti-hepatitis C antibody and evaluate factors associated with infection among users of Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers. Using a two-staged cluster sample, 1288 of 3863 randomly selected veterans completed a survey and underwent home-based phlebotomy for serological testing.

Noninfectious liver disorders: assessment and diagnosis.

Infectious hepatitis is often the initial suspect when abnormal serum liver function test results are discovered in primary care settings. However, noninfectious liver disorders may also present with altered liver function tests. Noninfectious liver disorders require careful assessment of patient history, physical findings, and serum laboratory tests to distinguish among entities that have varying clinical implications and treatments.

Visceral and cutaneous hypersensitivity in Persian Gulf war veterans with chronic gastrointestinal symptoms.

Approximately 697000 United States military personnel participated in the Persian Gulf War (PGW) between August 1990 and March 1991. By April 1997, over 25% of veterans reported chronic health complaints of underdetermined etiology. Gastrointestinal symptoms were among the most frequently reported symptoms including abdominal pain and diarrhea.