BVA9501336 DOCKET NO. 92-07 007 ) DATE ) ) On appeal from the decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania THE ISSUES 1. Entitlement to service connection for bronchial asthma. 2. Entitlement to an increased (compensable) evaluation for a service-connected right shoulder scar. 3. Entitlement to a permanent and total rating for pension purposes. ATTORNEY FOR THE BOARD Lori J. Wells-Green, Associate Counsel INTRODUCTION The veteran served on active duty from October 1971 to December 1972. This matter came to the Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) on appeal from a February 1992 rating decision of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania which granted service connection for right shoulder scar at a noncompensable rate and denied service connection for bronchial asthma and a permanent and total rating for pension purposes. In July 1993 the Board remanded the case for further development. The requested development has been completed and the case has been returned to the Board for further appellate action. REMAND The veteran contends that he is unable to work primarily due to the severity of his bronchial asthma. He asserts that high blood pressure, anemia, heart disease, arthritis and bone spurs of the spine further affect his ability to find gainful employment. The veteran contends that he has bursitis of the right shoulder. He further contends that service connection for bronchial asthma is warranted. The veteran's October 1971 medical history and induction examination reports show no complaints of asthma or pulmonary disability. The examiner found the veteran's lungs were within normal limits. A service medical record dated in November 1971 shows that the veteran complained of chest pains and breathing problems. He gave a history of having had asthma as a child. The examiner noted that the veteran's chest was clear and he was returned to duty. An August 1972 progress note also shows that the veteran had asthma as a child and the examiner noted wheezing upon expiration. At his October 1972 separation examination, the veteran had no complaints of breathing difficulties and the examiner found his lungs to be within normal limits. All the postservice medical evidence of record shows that the veteran had a history of childhood asthma. On the basis of the preceding, the Board finds that the RO should attempt to secure medical evidence documenting treatment of the veteran's bronchial asthma prior to and after service. The veteran should then be afforded a VA pulmonary examination. The Board notes, with respect to the veteran's appeal for entitlement to pension, that he maintains that he has been diagnosed with a heart condition, high blood pressure, anemia, bursitis, arthritis and bone spurs of the spine. The United States Court of Veterans Appeals has held that, under 38 U.S.C.A. § 5107(a) (West 1991), VA's duty to assist a veteran in obtaining and developing available facts and evidence to support a claim includes obtaining an adequate and contemporaneous VA examination which takes into account the records of prior medical treatment. Littke v. Derwinski, 1 Vet.App. 90 (1990). The Board is of the opinion that the veteran should be provided a VA general medical examination that determines the nature and extent of any and all of the veteran's current disabilities. Thereafter, the RO should evaluate all diagnosed disabilities for pension purposes. It is also noted that the veteran's service-connected scar of the right shoulder should be examined and reevaluated. Accordingly, the case is REMANDED for the following: 1. The RO should contact the veteran and request him to identify the names, addresses, and approximate dates of treatment for asthma prior to and after service from all health care providers. The RO should also request the veteran identify the specific names and addresses and approximate dates of treatment for all health care providers who have treated him since service for his other claimed disabilities. Then, with any necessary authorization from the veteran, the RO should attempt to obtain copies of all treatment records identified by the veteran. 2. When the foregoing development has been completed, the RO should arrange for the veteran to undergo the following: a. A VA social and industrial survey to obtain information concerning the veteran's education and industrial background. The claims folder should be made available for review. b. VA pulmonary and orthopedic examinations by board certified specialists, if available, to determine the nature and extent of the veteran's bronchial asthma and service-connected scar of the right shoulder. All indicated studies should be performed. The pulmonary specialist should be specifically requested to offer an opinion, with complete rationale, as to the etiology of any bronchial asthma present, to include an opinion as to whether it existed prior to or originated during service, increased in severity beyond natural progress during service, or was caused by any incident of service. The veteran's claims file should be made available to the examiners prior to the examinations. c. A VA general medical examination to determine the nature and extent of any other disabilities present to include high blood pressure anemia, heart disease, arthritis or bone spurs of the spines. Any special diagnostic studies deemed necessary should be performed, and the claims file should be made available to the examiner for review prior to the examination. 3. Thereafter, the RO should readjudicate the veteran's claims for service connection for bronchial asthma and for an increased rating for a scar of the right shoulder; and readjudicate the claim for entitlement to a permanent and total disability rating for pension purposes, to include assigning a percentage evaluation for each of the veteran's disabilities founded. If the benefits sought on appeal are not granted to the veteran's satisfaction, a supplemental statement of the case containing adequate reasons and bases should be issued and the veteran provided an opportunity to respond. Thereafter, the case should be returned to the Board for further consideration, if otherwise in order. By this REMAND, the Board intimates no opinion as to any final outcome warranted. No action is required of the veteran until he is notified by the RO. F. JUDGE FLOWERS Member, Board of Veterans' Appeals The Board of Veterans' Appeals Administrative Procedures Improvement Act, Pub. L. No. 103-271, § 6, 108 Stat. 740, ___ (1994), permits a proceeding instituted before the Board to be assigned to an individual member of the Board for a determination. This proceeding has been assigned to an individual member of the Board. Under 38 U.S.C.A. § 7252 (West 1991), only a decision of the Board of Veterans' Appeals is appealable to the United States Court of Veterans Appeals. This remand is in the nature of a preliminary order and does not constitute a decision of the Board on the merits of your appeal. 38 C.F.R. § 20.1100(b) (1993).