Military Medical Standards for Enlistment & Commission

Lungs, chest wall, pleura, and mediastinum

The disqualifying medical conditions are listed below. The International Classification of Disease (ICD) codes are listed in parentheses following each standard.


Current abnormal elevation of the diaphragm, either side, is disqualifying.

Any nonspecific abnormal findings on radiological and other examination of body structure, such as lung field (793.1), or other thoracic or abdominal organ (793.2), is disqualifying.

b. Current abscess of the lung or mediastinum (513) is disqualifying.

Current or history of acute infectious processes of the lung, including but not limited to viral pneumonia (480), pneumococcal pneumonia (481), bacterial pneumonia (482), pneumonia other specified (483), pneumonia infectious disease classified elsewhere (484), bronchopneumonia organism unspecified (485), pneumonia organism unspecified (486), are disqualifying until cured.

Asthma (493), including reactive airway disease, exercise-induced bronchospasm or asthmatic bronchitis, reliably diagnosed and symptomatic after the 13th birthday, is disqualifying. Reliable diagnostic criteria may include any of the following elements: substantiated history of cough, wheeze, chest tightness, and/or dyspnea that persists or recurs over a prolonged period of time, generally more than 12 months.

Current bronchitis (490), acute or chronic, symptoms over 3 months occurring at least twice a year (491), is disqualifying.

Current or history of bronchiectasis (494) is disqualifying. g. Current or history of bronchopleural fistula (510) unless resolved with no sequelae is disqualifying.

Current or history of bullous or generalized pulmonary emphysema (492) is disqualifying.

Current chest wall malformation (754), including, but not limited to pectus excavatum (754.81), or pectus carinatum (754.82), if these conditions interfere with vigorous physical exertion, is disqualifying.

History of empyema (510) is disqualifying.

Current pulmonary fibrosis (515) from any cause producing respiratory symptoms is disqualifying.

Current foreign body in lung, trachea, or bronchus (934) is disqualifying. m. History of lobectomy (P32.4) is disqualifying.

Current or history of pleurisy with effusion (511.9) within the previous 2 years is disqualifying.

Current or history of pneumothorax (512) occurring during the year preceding examination, if due to trauma or surgery or occurring during the 3 years preceding examination from spontaneous origin, is disqualifying Recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax (512) is disqualifying.

History of open or laparoscopic thoracic or chest wall (including breasts) surgery during the preceding 6 months (P54) is disqualifying.



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