Ss49-01 Introduction to the 9/11 Attacks and the World Trade Center Health Program

Introduction The September 11, 2001 (9/11) terrorist attacks in New York City, at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and at the crash site near Shanksville, Pennsylvania adversely affected the physical and mental health of hundreds of thousands. Materials and Methods This session will describe the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the resulting exposures to physical agents and severe psychological stressors. An overview of the World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program will also be provided. Information to be presented was derived from peer-reviewed published articles, and from publicly available documents produced by the WTC Health Program. Results The collapse and burning of the WTC and neighboring buildings released a complex mixture of neurotoxin-containing irritant and alkaline dust, smoke, gaseous materials, heavy metals, asbestos, and other substances. Similar exposures also occurred at the Pentagon and at the Shanksville crash site. The disaster sites were also psychologically traumatizing. To address the health concerns that arose, the WTC Health Program was created by federal law and commenced on July 1, 2011. It provides health screenings and treatment for those directly affected by the September 11th terrorist attacks. The WTC Health Program is a limited federal healthcare program. That is, medical treatment benefits are provided only for those conditions determined to be related to 9/11 exposures. Conclusions This special session will summarize the psychiatric and cognitive effects observed among persons with 9/11 exposures, reflect on the possible role of those exposures in causing/contributing to those health outcomes, and discuss the importance of ongoing clinical surveillance and the role of prevention.