Little is known about the utilization of central nervous system (CNS) and musculoskeletal (MS) medications in Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF) veterans with blast-related injuries (BRIs). We followed prescription drug use among a cohort of 133 OIF/OEF veterans with BRIs by using the Joint Theatre Trauma Registry, the Tampa Polytrauma Registry, and electronic medical ...

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in military personnel is increasing dramatically following the OEF/OIF conflicts and is associated with alterations to brain structure. The present study examined the relationship between PTSD and cortical thickness, and its possible modification by mTBI, in a 104-subject OEF/OIF veteran cohort ranging in age from 20 to...

This study aimed to (1) identify the prevalence and severity of pain and psychiatric comorbidities among personnel who had been deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), and Operation New Dawn (OND) and (2) assess whether the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Polytrauma System of Care and an OIF/OEF/OND registry reflect real differences among patients. P...

Occupational functioning represents both an important outcome for military service members returning from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom and a predictor for long-term mental health functioning. We investigated the role of mental health diagnoses, determined by structured clinical interviews, on occupational functioning in a group of 262 National Guard/Reserve servi...

INTRODUCTION Our goal in this study was to examine beliefs and attitudes about tobacco use in the newest generation of combat veterans, those who served in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom [OEF]) and Iraq (Operation Iraqi Freedom [OIF]). METHODS We held 5 focus groups (n = 17) with Minnesota Army National Guard soldiers who had recently returned from combat deployment in support of OEF...

OBJECTIVES Extremity wounds and fractures traditionally comprise the majority of traumatic injuries in US armed conflicts. Little has been published regarding the extremity wounding patterns and fracture distribution in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The intent of this study was to describe the distribution of extremity fractures during this current conflict. DESIGN Descriptiv...

Recently, there have been reports in the news media of increased risk of suicide among current and former U.S. military personnel, particularly those who are serving or have served in either Afghanistan or Iraq, as part of Operations Enduring Freedom or Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF) (1). This review examines relevant published studies and government reports that address suicide among current and form...