Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine

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BACKGROUND: A major part of testing of rebreather apparatuses for underwater diving focuses on the oxygen dosage system. METHODS: A metabolic simulator for testing breathing apparatuses was built and evaluated. Oxygen consumption was achieved through catalytic combustion of propene. With an admixture of carbon dioxide in the propene fuel, the system allowed the respiratory exchange ratio to be set freely within human variability and also made it possible to increase test pressures above the condensation pressure of propene...

BACKGROUND: Lower back pain is ubiquitous in the helicopter community and testicular cancer is the most common solid organ tumor that affects approximately 1% of men ages 15 to 35. However, rarely is lower back pain caused by testicular cancer and, in an otherwise healthy male, it is generally low on the differential diagnosis. Literature review discovered the most recent case report where lower back pain was the presenting symptom for testicular cancer was in 1987. CASE REPORT: A 26-yr-old male helicopter pilot presented to clinic complaining of lower back pain for greater than 1 yr for which conservative treatment had failed...

BACKGROUND: Between June-October 2012, 61 flight-medic-directed transfusions took place aboard U.S. Army Medical Evacuation (medevac) helicopters in Afghanistan. This represents the initial experience for pre-hospital blood product transfusion by U.S. Army flight medics. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of clinical records, operating guidelines, after-action reviews, decision and information briefs, bimonthly medical conferences, and medevac-related medical records...

BACKGROUND: High altitude illnesses (HAI) are a risk factor for any individual who is exposed to a significant increase in altitude. To learn more about the epidemiology of HAI, we sought to determine if health records from a commercial trekking company could provide novel data on the prevalence of HAI, as well as efficacy data regarding common HAI therapeutics. METHODS: Health parameters from 917 tourists ascending Mt. Kilimanjaro over a 10-yr period were analyzed for meaningful data...

BACKGROUND: Nitrogen (N2) in air causes cognitive impairment from gas narcosis when breathed at increased ambient pressures. This impairment might be reduced by using enriched air nitrox (EANx) mixtures, which have a higher oxygen and lower N2 content compared to air. This study aimed to investigate if divers differed in memory ability and self-assessment when breathing air and EANx30. METHODS: The effect of depth (shallow vs. deep) and breathing gas (air vs. EANx30) on memory ability and subjective ratings of impairment was compared in 20 divers...

INTRODUCTION: An important problem for pilots is visual disturbances occurring under +Gz acceleration. Assessment of the degree of intensification of these disturbances is generally accepted as the acceleration tolerance level (ATL) criterion determined in human centrifuges. The aim of this research was to evaluate the visual-motor responses of pilots during rapidly increasing acceleration contained in cyclic intervals of +6 Gz to the maximum ATL. METHODS: The study involved 40 male pilots ages 32-41 yr...

INTRODUCTION: Some commercial spaceflight participants (SFPs) may have medical conditions that require implanted medical devices (IMDs), such as cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, insulin pumps, or similar electronic devices. The effect of space radiation on the function of IMDs is unknown. This review will identify known effects of terrestrial and aviation electromagnetic interference (EMI) and radiation on IMDs in order to provide insight into the potential effects of radiation exposures in the space environment...

INTRODUCTION: Flight deck alerts provide system malfunction information designed to lead corresponding pilot reactions aimed at guaranteeing flight safety. This study examined the roles of expertise and flight responsibility and their relationship to pilots' reactions to flight deck alerts. METHODS: There were 17 pilots composing 12 flight crews that were assigned into pairs according to flight hours and responsibilities. The experiment included 9 flight scenarios and was carried out in a CRJ-200 flight simulator...

INTRODUCTION: Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is used in air ambulances to treat patients with impaired oxygenation. Differences in mechanical principles between CPAP devices may affect their performance at different ambient air pressures, as will occur in an air ambulance during flight. METHODS: Two different CPAP systems, a threshold resistor device and a flow resistor device, at settings of 5 and 10 cm H₂O were examined. Static pressure, static airflow, and pressure during simulated breathing were measured at ground level and at three different altitudes [2400 m (7874 ft), 3000 m (9843 ft), and 10,700 m (35,105 ft)]...

BACKGROUND: Decompression sickness is caused by bubbles of inert gas predominantly found in the venous circulation. Bubbles may exist longer when covered by a surfactant layer reducing surface tension. Surfactant candidates, based on 3D-structure and availability, are long-chain fatty acids (FFAs). It is hypothesized that sufficient molecular dissolved FFA (dFFA) result in higher bubble grades (BGs). METHODS: Participating divers (52) either had a fat-rich or a fat-poor breakfast...

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine whether protans have slower reaction times to red lights than individuals with normal color vision and to identify whether protan reaction times increase differentially in a mildly hypoxic environment. METHODS: Simple reaction times (SRT) to a red light-emitting diode (LED) display were measured using the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) at ground (1293 ft/394 m), simulated 12,400-ft (3780-m) altitude, and 20 min after returning to ground...

BACKGROUND: At +1 Gz, electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) has been shown to increase systemic blood pressure similarly to a standard G-suit or lower body muscle straining. It was hypothesized that EMS might improve G protection at increased G levels. METHODS: An EMS suit was developed with electrodes over the calves, thighs, gluteal, and abdominal muscles. Using nine subjects, the EMS suit was compared to a standard five-bladder G-suit during various G profiles up to +9 Gz in a human-rated centrifuge with EMS activated by electrical muscle stimulators at G levels at or above +4 Gz...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

No abstract text is available yet for this article.