Military service and lung disease

Lung diseases associated with military service are often a reflection of the conditions seen in the local civilian population, and with a few notable exceptions, are often related to unique environmental and occupational exposures.

This article reviews important pulmonary diseases that have been associated with military service in the past 100 years in a question-and-answer format.

Traditionally, bacterial and viral pneumonias were the most common sources of military morbidity and mortality. With improved preventive medicine and antimicrobial therapy, other diseases related to battlefield injuries or inhalational exposures have assumed greater importance.

The etiology of military morbidity and mortality has evolved over the past century. Many of the discoveries related to vaccine efficacy, trauma resuscitation, interstitial lung disease, and even carcinomas have a strong military association.