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Biomedical subjects

A J Balfour

Publications and source records attributed to A J Balfour.

13 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Fettler's disease with smoke inhalation: particles within the lung.

In August 1985, a 72-year-old man died in the Manchester air disaster. Transmission electron microscopy of his lung tissue revealed not only inhaled smoke particles, but a large population of distinctive particles with different characteristics. These contain silicon and iron, as well as carbon and oxygen, and are thought to be related to his occupation as a fettler and to the extensive fibrosis seen on routine histology.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1989

His honour'd bones.

A service pilot crashed in the sea 40 years ago and was killed. His body was washed ashore later, and buried in an honoured, but unnamed, grave. Recently, evidence suggesting that the body was that of the pilot came to light, and after further inquiries an exhumation for formal identification was authorized. The methods used in confirming this man's identity are described in the standard texts, and this brief account is given by permission of the next of kin in the hope that it may be of help to others faced with a similar problem.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1989

The bite of Jesuits' bark.

Cinchonism is the well-known syndrome of quinine overdose involving disturbances of vision, hearing, and balance, which has occasional importance in aviation pathology, usually related to ingestion of tonic water. One study showed 100 mg of quinine taken in tonic water is sufficient to produce positional abnormalities of the electronystagmograph. Blood levels of quinine of about 0.2 mg.L-1 found at autopsy in pilots who died in aviation accidents in which positional cues seemed to be important suggest that quinine toxicity played a causative role.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1983

No drowning mark upon him.

A crew member made a successful emergency ejection at low level, following a bird strike over the sea, but was found floating dead in his lifejacket when rescuers reached him soon afterwards. The probable mode of death and some possible implications are discussed.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1983

Fatal gliding accidents in the United Kingdom: 1960-1980.

For many years, the Department of Aviation and Forensic Pathology of the RAF Institute of Pathology and Tropical Medicine has assisted in the medical investigation of fatal military and civil aircraft accidents, both in the U.K. and overseas. These included 33 glider accidents involving 39 deaths over the period 1960-1980. They do not include all the fatal gliding accidents in the U.K. because there is no mandatory obligation to call in the department, but probably represent over 50%. The Department is primarily interested in the nature of fatal injuries, the performance of safety equipment and the presence or absence of pre-existing medical factors which might have affected or caused the accident. It also makes recommendations intended to improve flight safety, and is often involved in the discussions between the British Gliding Association, the Civil Aviation Authority, and the other organizations involved.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1982

Sarcoidosis in aircrew.

Pulmonary lesions resembling sarcoid granulomata histologically appeared as chance findings on routine histology of UK aircraft accident fatalities more often than was expected from the recognised clinical incidence of sarcoidosis in UK. It was not possible to prove that these lesions in postmortem tissue were sarcoidosis, but all attempts to demonstrate any other aetiology failed. This raised the question as to whether there might be an association between these lesions and aircraft accidents, or whether some factor led to their occurrence in aircrew more frequently than in passengers. However, the clinical incidence and the postmortem occurrence are not strictly comparable, and the numbers involved are small and so the findings may be due to chance.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1980

An unsuccessful ejection.

A strike aircraft hit cables and both crew were obliged to eject at low level over the sea. Both canopies deployed fully. The navigator got into his dinghy and was rescued by a helicopter soon afterwards, but the pilot failed to inflate his lifejacket and was dead when the helicopter reached him. The difficulties experienced by the navigator and the probable sequence of events leading to the pilot's death are discussed, and emphasise the need for aircrew to inflate their life preservers before parachuting into water.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1980

Hazards of crop spraying.

Two crop spraying accidents are described briefly; the first straight-forward and the second complicated by toxic effects of the pesticide on the salvage party and others. These are discussed, and it is suggested that better liaison between doctors and engineers, expert toxicological advice in the field, together with medical supervision might avoid such potentially serious incidents in the future.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1977

Joint Committee on Aviation Pathology: I. Fatal aircraft accidents.

The Department of Aviation Pathology was established at RAF Halton in 1955, and is now 21 years old; the early history of aviation pathology and the establishment of the department following the Comet disaster in 1954 are briefly recounted. The past work of the department and possible future trends are discussed, including the importance of helicopter accidents, the value of periodical medical examination, the problems in large passenger aircraft crashes and the subsequent medico-legal difficulties.

Accidents, Aviation↗