Epidemiology of White Blood Cell Counts at the Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, California 1982-1983

Abstract : The Naval Weapons Center, China Lake, conducted an NWC-wide surveillance program to determine the prevalence in the NWC work force of low white blood cell (WBC) counts during 1982-83. A complete WBC count was performed on 3,012 NWC employees. If a person had three consecutive low WBC counts (one month apart), the person was considered to have a persistent low WBC count was referred for an evaluation of bone marrow function. There was no consistent trend in mean WBC counts according to age, sex, or length of employment at NWC. Current cigarette smokers had a markedly higher mean WBC count than never smokers. The Electronic Warfare Department had both crude and smoking-adjusted prevalence rates of low WBC counts nearly double that of the NWC population, a statistically significant difference. Within the Electronic Warfare Department the Microwave Development Division had a crude and smoking -adjusted prevalence rate approximately 3.5 times the total NWC population. Keywords: Leukocytes; Hematology.