Biomedical subjects

J Hordinsky

Publications and source records attributed to J Hordinsky.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2001

Prevalence of drugs and alcohol in fatal civil aviation accidents between 1994 and 1998.

BACKGROUND: The use of drugs and alcohol in aviation is closely monitored by the FAA Office of Aviation Medicine's (OAM's) Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI) through the toxicological analysis of specimens from pilots who have died in aviation accidents. METHOD: Frozen specimens received from local pathologists were tested and the results entered into a computer database for future analysis. The data were sorted based on the class of drug, controlled dangerous substance schedules II, and I controlled dangerous substance schedules III-V, prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and alcohol. RESULTS: Specimens from 1683 pilots were analyzed between 1994 to 1998. Controlled dangerous substances, CDS, (schedules I and II) were found in 89 of the pilots analyzed. Controlled dangerous substances (schedules III-V) were found in 49 of the pilots tested. Prescription drugs were found in 240 of the pilots analyzed. Over-the-counter drugs were found in 301 of the pilots analyzed. Alcohol at or above the legal limit of 0.04% was found in 124 pilots. No abused drugs were found in Class 1 air transport fatal pilots. CONCLUSION: This research supports the very low incidence rate of drugs found in the FAA random drug-testing program. Over-the-counter medications are the most frequently found drugs in fatal aviation accidents and many of these drugs could impair a pilot's ability to safely fly an aircraft. This data is helpful to the FAA in developing programs to reduce the usage of dangerous drugs and identify potentially incapacitating medical conditions that may cause an accident. Data collected from this research can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the FAA drug-testing program.

Accidents, Aviation↗

PubMed1986

Hemodynamic response to LBNP following 2 hours HDT (-6 degrees).

Central hemodynamics have been determined during stepwise decreasing LBP in head-down tilt (HDT) of -6 degrees. Measurements were performed on eight healthy volunteers using right heart catheterization. During LBNP, pressures in the right atrium, pulmonary artery, and pulmonary capillary (preload) decreased in parallel with the increase of negative pressure applied to the lower part of the body. Similarly, stroke volume and cardiac output decreased with increasing negative pressure. Heart rate moderately increased (30%) as well as total peripheral resistance. The left ventricular function curve was shifted downward and to the left during LBNP indicating hypovolemia with no evidence of decreased contractility. Cardiac dimensions determined by echocardiography changed in a similar way as those obtained by invasive measurements. There was a very close correlation between stroke volume determined by thermodilution and by echocardiography. Plasma norepinephrine and dopamine tended to increase at the end of LBNP. Echocardiography proved a useful and reliable approach to hemodynamic measurement during LBNP and is recommended for analysis of hemodynamic parameters during zero G and Gz simulation.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

Central hemodynamics during zero gravity simulated by head-down bedrest.

Central hemodynamics during head-down tilt of -6 degrees lasting for 2 h were studied using catheterization of the pulmonary artery. M-mode echocardiography was performed simultaneously. Significant increases occurred for pressures in the right atrium, pulmonary artery in pulmonary wedge position, and for pulmonary vascular resistance. Cardiac and stroke volume index, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and total systemic resistance remained constant throughout the exposure time. Constancy was also observed for echocardiographic measures of cardiac dimensions. It is concluded that head-down tilt leads to an increase of preload without any evidence of disturbed left ventricular function. No distinct time course of hemodynamic variables could be seen. Echocardiography proved a useful method to study cardiovascular adaptations during head-down tilting.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The identification and quantitation of triamterene in blood and urine from a fatal aircraft accident victim.

Triamterene, a diuretic drug used in combination with other drugs for the treatment of hypertension, was found in the blood and urine of a fatal aircraft accident victim. The extraction and identification of triamterene is difficult. It exhibits poor extraction efficiency using some standard base-extraction procedures, and the parent drug is unsuitable for analysis using gas chromatography. In this case, a thin-layer chromatography solvent system and high-performance liquid chromatography were used to identify and quantitate triamterene in blood and urine. Triamterene is a strong absorber in the ultraviolet region and has an unusual UV spectrum, which simplifies the identification and quantitation of this substance by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Accidents, Aviation↗