Ask our physician

I know that Deborah Heart and Lung Center has a great pulmonary department. I recently heard that many of the Sept. 11 rescue workers were treated there. What type of specialized care did these brave heroes require? —Leslie R., Toms River.

Thanks for asking about the Sept. 11 emergency responders. What happened on 9/11 was terrible, and the tragedy continued as so many of these selfless heroes who worked on "the pile," at the temporary morgue and at the Staten Island Landfill subsequently became ill with a host of respiratory ailments. At Deborah, we've treated patients with "World Trade Center cough," or "Ground Zero cough," as well as reactive airway disease, hyperreactive airways, pulmonary fibrosis and a variety of other respiratory ailments. I'm grateful that we've been able in some small way to help these brave men and women who did so much for our country.

—David Murphy, M.D., Chair Emeritus, Deborah's Pulmonary Medicine Department