Potential Medical Problems in Personnel Returning from Vietnam

This review summarizes the communicable diseases that should be considered in military personnel returning from Vietnam. It is anticipated that malaria will be encountered most frequently and that patients with diarrheal diseases, hookworm, or fever of unknown origin will be seen commonly. Tropical sprue, melioidosis, plague, and helminthiasis are endemic in South Vietnam and must be considered in the individual patient. The disease problems of Vietnam are only an indicator of the international scope of medicine today. Whether the patient is a civilian or a member of the armed services, an inquiry into travels abroad is an essential part of every medical history.