Rad Worker and Eczema?

[marfedup]

I was recently sub DQ-ed after being on the boat for almost two years (I'm in RC div).  I was having severe eczema outbreaks, and when the UMO found the IDC's and dermatologist's entries in my med record, he pulled me off the boat.

I was doing a medical screening to transfer to a carrier, and the UMO said that I can be rad worker DQ-ed for having a skin condition.  Has anyone had this happen to them, or know anything about it?  I've been looking for a instruction, but haven't been able to find one.

[Starkist]

I was diagnosed with rosacea and noone said a word to me. O.o sorry about all this. Ill ask someone who can shed more light on this for you.

Just curious, was he saying you would be DQ because of the medication you could get? I wasnt allowed to go on steroids for my condition. Just a thought.

[HydroDave63]

I was diagnosed with rosacea and noone said a word to me. O.o sorry about all this. Ill ask someone who can shed more light on this for you.

[Starkist]

Hey dave. Sorry, but eczema and rosacea both are similar conditions with similar treatments, both using corticosteroids and antihistamines. edit: I sent randall a PM to have him chime in on this, as he was an RHO he can probably give us more information.

Prednisone is a common treatment for both.
Source:
http://www.medicinenet.com/eczema/article.htm
http://www.medicinenet.com/rosacea/article.htm

some of the drugs are disqualifying as well.
Source :
http://www.med.navy.mil/directives/Pub/MANMED%20CHANGE%20136.pdf

(a) For the purpose of this directive,
"psychopharmaceutical" is defined as a prescription
medication with primary activity in the central
nervous system.... Drug
EnforcementAgency (DEA) scheduled medications
. Isotretinoin (Accutane) is
considered a psychopharmaceutical and the
provisions of this section apply.

Prednisone is a DEA scheduled drug, which is prohibited by the medical directives. So is an acne medicine for crying out loud .
http://www.drugs.com/pro/prednisone.html

[Higgs]

Yes I've heard of people being dqed rad worker for that condition. It is also disqualifying on entry, so if they knew about it from the get go, they must have missed it. Lucky you have experience under your belt now though.

[navynukedoc]

Personally I have never put a disqualifier on a person for a skin condition for nuke work.

Sub service however I would definetly. The problem with having a condition of any sort that can require more medical attention than say the normal, "Doc, I have a cold"  symptoms can compromise the mission of the boat. That is the reason why submarine duty is so selective.

On the other hand, being DQ'd from a birdfarm is not something I agree with. Nor disqualifying you from nuke duty. I would take your rating and give you the opportunity to obtain a new one if you were a nuclear medicine tech, or anyone else handling non-sealed isotopes.

It could be something new in the Navy though. We know how new boss' like to change rules and make themselves look good.

If eczema is a dq'ing issue now, sounds to me like you may have a case to early retire with full benefits if it is something you have never experienced before enlisting. Talk to a different UMO. The situation just doesn't puzzle perfectly for me. I am going to do some research on this one.

[Higgs]

My answer was based on two guys dqed in my boot division, one for exema, one for acne.I don't know the actual rules though. That was 1998.

[Gamecock]

If eczema is a dq'ing issue now, sounds to me like you may have a case to early retire with full benefits if it is something you have never experienced before enlisting.

BS.....

We've got guys coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan minus limbs who deserve medical retirement.

A guy with a treatable skin condition doesn't rate a medical retirement.

[navynukedoc]

BS.....

We've got guys coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan minus limbs who deserve medical retirement.

A guy with a treatable skin condition doesn't rate a medical retirement.

Your opinion is that. If I understand correctly, you weren't in the MC, so I am sure you never sat on an eligibility board. If he developed the condition due to exposure of something during his service and he has to see a specialist and be on medications for the rest of his life, then he is eligible.

Persons with combat related injuries, and can not continue their job in the military do in fact get retired with full benefits.

Have a fine Navy evening shipmate! 

[Gamecock]

Your opinion is that. If I understand correctly, you weren't in the MC, so I am sure you never sat on an eligibility board. If he developed the condition due to exposure of something during his service and he has to see a specialist and be on medications for the rest of his life, then he is eligible.

Persons with combat related injuries, and can not continue their job in the military do in fact get retired with full benefits.

Have a fine Navy evening shipmate! 

I'm fairly certain that you never sat on a medical retirement eligibility board either.

Just about everyone develops something during their time in the military...that's why we have the VA.  If we "medically" retired everyone with treatable conditions, then we wouldn't have the money to build new ships!

[RDTroja]

Maybe the theory is that certain skin conditions could be medically disqualifying if you are working in and around potentially contaminated areas? Eczema causes a degradation of the skin that could be sufficient to allow subdermal contamination. It would also make cleaning the area more difficult. It should not be cause for a medical discharge, but denuking? Perhaps. Not for the treatment but for the potential problems. Same for severe acne.

I was diagnosed with rosacea and no one said a word to me.

My step son had Rosacea and I never saw it degrade his skin enough to be a contamination problem... maybe his case was mild, I don't know enough about it to say, but that may be why it was not an issue.

[Starkist]

My step son had Rosacea and I never saw it degrade his skin enough to be a contamination problem... maybe his case was mild, I don't know enough about it to say, but that may be why it was not an issue.

My particular case is fairly mild. Annoying? Absolutely. Some rosacea does get absolute horrible though and it can degrade to worse symptoms. For example, I just look like Im blushing all the time, other people look like this :



Clearly can get horrible and requires a LOT of medication. The treatment involves cortico-steroids, which suppresses your immune system pretty badly which may play a part in the DQ process.

[navynukedoc]

I was recently sub DQ-ed after being on the boat for almost two years (I'm in RC div).  I was having severe eczema outbreaks, and when the UMO found the IDC's and dermatologist's entries in my med record, he pulled me off the boat.

I was doing a medical screening to transfer to a carrier, and the UMO said that I can be rad worker DQ-ed for having a skin condition.  Has anyone had this happen to them, or know anything about it?  I've been looking for a instruction, but haven't been able to find one.

OK, so after some research this is what I have found, depending on the severity of your condition and the location, you can be dq'd based on your inability to wear PPE. If it is serious enough that you can not wear a respirator, gloves, or an OBA, you will be dq'd from any duty requiring you to go into any confined spaces or handling of any possible hazardous substances.

So if it is bad enough on your face or hands, you are pretty much never going back to sea, much less keeping a nuke rating.

Hope this sheds some light on your situation.

-Doc

PS- Starkist, that is a good example of your condition, but a serious case of eczema would have oozing from the wound. Thus having the inability to don a respirator.

[Higgs]

That sounds like the two guys in my example. Both had oozing sores, exema and acne. It was bad, felt sorry for them.

[marfedup]

My eczema was really bad.   I had blood oozing from around my eyes, mouth, cheeks, ear lobes, and forearms.  During ORSE and TRE the board wouldn't let me wear the EAB, I just carried around with me, usually slung over my shoulder (to provide simulation that I was wearing it.)   The LELT wouldn't even let my do maintenance on APDs or the sources.

OK, so after some research this is what I have found, depending on the severity of your condition and the location, you can be dq'd based on your inability to wear PPE. If it is serious enough that you can not wear a respirator, gloves, or an OBA, you will be dq'd from any duty requiring you to go into any confined spaces or handling of any possible hazardous substances.

So if it is bad enough on your face or hands, you are pretty much never going back to sea, much less keeping a nuke rating.

Hope this sheds some light on your situation.

-Doc

PS- Starkist, that is a good example of your condition, but a serious case of eczema would have oozing from the wound. Thus having the inability to don a respirator.

[Starkist]

My eczema was really bad.   I had blood oozing from around my eyes, mouth, cheeks, ear lobes, and forearms.  During ORSE and TRE the board wouldn't let me wear the EAB, I just carried around with me, usually slung over my shoulder (to provide simulation that I was wearing it.)   The LELT wouldn't even let my do maintenance on APDs or the sources.

well I think you have your answer then, :-/. It will really be dependent on your SMO and RHO's opinion if/when you get to a carrier.