IBD and getting in armed forces

athena55, BSN, RN · Feb 28, 2009

rnflor:

before you read this know that oftentimes one can request and receive a medical waiver. this is for the army but may be applicable to all the services'?? not sure.

perhaps, in your favor, is the fact you "haven't had a flair-up in years"

i will keep you in my thoughts and please let us know what is going on with your process.....remember, if you are first dq'd ask for a medical waiver.

the disqualifying medical conditions are listed below. the international classification of disease (icd) codes are listed in parentheses following each standard.

the causes for rejection for appointment, enlistment, and induction (without an approved waiver) are an authenticated history of:

a. esophagus. ulceration, varices, fistula, achalasia, or other dismotility disorders; chronic or recurrent esophagitis if confirmed by appropriate x-ray or endoscopic examination (530).

b. stomach and duodenum.

(1) gastritis. chronic hypertrophic, or severe (535).

(2) active ulcer of the stomach or duodenum confirmed by x-ray or endoscopy (533).

(3) congenital abnormalities of the stomach or duodenum causing symptoms or requiring surgical treatment (751), except a history of surgical correction of hypertrophic pyloric stenosis of infancy.

c. small and large intestine.

(1) inflammatory bowel disease. regional enteritis (555), ulcerative colitis (556), ulcerative proctitis (556).

(2) duodenal diverticula with symptoms or sequelae (hemorrhage, perforation, etc.) (562.02).

(3) intestinal malabsorption syndromes, including postsurgical and idiopathic (579).

(4) congenital (751). condition, to include meckel's diverticulum or functional (564) abnormalities, persisting or symptomatic within the past 2 years.

d. gastrointestinal bleeding. history of, unless the cause has been corrected, and is not otherwise disqualifying (578).

e. hepato-pancreatic-biliary tract.

(1) viral hepatitis (070), or unspecified hepatitis (570), within the preceding 6 months or persistence of symptoms after 6 months, or objective evidence of impairment of liver function, chronic hepatitis, and hepatitis b carriers (070). (individuals who are known to have tested positive for hepatitis c virus (hcv) infection require confirmatory testing. if positive, individuals should be clinically evaluated for objective evidence of liver function impairment. if evaluation reveals no signs or symptoms of disease, the applicant meets the standards.)

(2) cirrhosis (571), hepatic cysts and abscess (572), and sequelae of chronic liver disease (572).

(3) cholecystitis, acute or chronic, with or without cholelithiasis (574), and other disorders of the gallbladder including post-cholecystectomy syndrome (575), and biliary system (576). note. cholecystectomy is not disqualifying 60 days postsurgery (or 30 days post-laproscopic surgery), providing there are no disqualifying residuals from treatment.

(4) pancreatitis. acute (577.0) and chronic (577.1).

f. anorectal.

(1) anal fissure if persistent, or anal fistula (565).

(2) anal or rectal polyp (569.0), prolapse (569.1), stricture (569.2), or incontinence (787.6).

(3) hemorrhoids, internal or external, when large, symptomatic, or history of bleeding (455).

g. spleen.

(1) splenomegaly, if persistent (789.2).

(2) splenectomy (p41.5), except when accomplished for trauma, or conditions unrelated to the spleen, or for hereditary spherocytosis (282.0).

h. abdominal wall.

(1) hernia, including inguinal (550), and other abdominal (553), except for small, asymptomatic umbilical or asymptomatic hiatal.

(2) history of abdominal surgery within the preceding 60 days (p54), except that individuals post-laparoscopic cholecystectomy may be qualified after 30 days.

i. other.

(1) gastrointestinal bypass (p43) or stomach stapling (p44) for control of obesity.

(2) persons with artificial openings (v44).

derived from department of defense (dod) directive 6130.3, physical standards for appointment, enlistment, and induction, and dod instruction 6130.4, criteria and procedure requirements for physical standards for appointment, enlistment, or induction in the armed forces.