A survey of deployed foot problems in a desert environment

Abstract

A casual comment made regarding the amount of "mole skin" being dispensed to airmen to handle blisters, pressure points, and foot pain led to the development of an impromptu voluntary survey in an attempt to quantify the number of personnel with foot care concerns and the spectrum of those problems. With only a small number of sick call visits related to foot and ankle problems, the amount of mole skin being dispensed was surprising. This survey represents the results of a comprehensive evaluation of a base population involved in support of the first 2 months of Operation Iraqi Freedom.