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Biomedical subjects

P Froom

Publications and source records attributed to P Froom.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Visual acuity, corrective lenses, and accidents in helicopter pilots.

The visual acuity of 38 helicopter pilots experiencing serious air accidents was compared to that of a control group of 72 pilots, matched for age, aircraft, and hours of flight. Decrease in visual acuity was divided into two groups: 1) minor decreases in vision up to 20/25 (not requiring corrective lenses); and 2) visual acuity of 20/30 or less with correction to 20/20. Minor decreases in visual acuity were found in 23.7% (9/38) of those in the accident group compared to 25.0% (18/72) in the control group. There were more pilots in the control group who needed corrective lenses (12.5% (18/72) versus 2.8% (1/38), p less than 0.07). We conclude that helicopter pilots with corrective lenses or minor uncorrected decreases in visual acuity are not at increased risk for serious air accidents.

Accidents, Aviation↗
PubMed1987

Predictive value of the resting electrocardiogram for Mobitz type I atrio-ventricular block on Holter monitoring in Israeli air force personnel.

During 1981-1984, a total of 52 airpersonnel had 24-h continuous ambulatory electrocardiographic (ECG) monitoring at the Israel Air Force Aeromedical Center because of an incidental finding of a first or second degree atrio-ventricular block on a resting 12-lead ECG. There were 230 other airpersonnel without AV block on the resting ECG monitored during the same period. Altogether 17 cases of second degree Mobitz type I (Wenckebach) block were identified. Mobitz type I was detected on Holter monitoring in 2 (0.9%) of the 230 cases with a normal PR interval on the resting ECG, in 6 (15.4%) of 39 cases with a PR interval of 0.22-0.25 s, in 5 (55.5%) of 9 cases with a PR interval of 0.26 s or more, and in all 4 cases with Mobitz type I on the resting ECG. It is concluded that the PR interval on the resting ECG may be useful in predicting an intermittent Mobitz type I AV block on Holter monitoring.

Aerospace Medicine↗
PubMed1987

Asymptomatic microscopic hematuria in pilots.

Pilots were examined in order to determine whether the cumulative incidence or point prevalence of asymptomatic microscopic hematuria is associated with air duty. The cumulative incidence of recurrent microscopic hematuria over a 12-15-year period was 11.3%(17/151) in fighter pilots, 10.0%(8/80) in helicopter pilots, and 13.8% (11/80) in transport pilots. Similarly, the point prevalence of microscopic hematuria in those who had flown the day prior to the urinalysis was no higher than found in the control group. We conclude that air duty does not cause microscopic hematuria either chronically or during the day after the stress of air flight.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Spondylolithesis in pilots: a follow-up study.

There were 21 pilots followed for 12-131 months in order to determine the natural history of spondylolithesis (SLL). Of these 21, 16 had follow-up X-ray examinations, and only 1 was found with significant progression of the posterior vertebral displacement. Of the 12 pilots with SLL and low back pain (LBP), 4 had recurrent single episodes of acute LBP, but all remained active and continued to fly over the follow-up period. None of the 9 pilots who had SLL discovered on routine X-ray examination developed LBP over the follow-up period. We conclude that pilots with SLL can continue to fly with minimal risk of morbidity and loss of flight time.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

The predictive value of the body mass index for systolic blood pressure 12-15 years later in young air force personnel.

The records of 719 male air force personnel, aged 18-30 in 1968, were searched for the results of the systolic blood pressure (SBP), and height and weight examinations at entry in 1968 and after 12-15 years follow-up. The body mass index (BMI = weight/height2) was calculated and an elevated value was defined as one in the upper quintile. An elevated blood pressure, defined as an SBP greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg, was found on follow-up in 4.7% of the entire cohort, in 6.0% (4/67) of those with an elevated SBP and a normal BMI at entry, in 10.2% (12/117) of those with a normal SBP and an elevated BMI at entry, and in 20.0% (7/35) of those with both elevated BMI and SBP greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg at entry. Of those with a normal SBP and BMI at entry, 2.2% (11/500) had an elevated SBP on follow-up. We conclude that BMI in young men can predict SBP 12-15 years later, and that this predictive value is at least as high as that of the resting blood pressure.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Value of three annual blood pressure determinations in young adults as a predictor of elevated systolic blood pressure 15 years later.

The records of 726 male air force personnel aged 18 to 34 years in 1968 were searched for the results of examination of the systolic blood pressure (SBP) in 1968 and during the following 15 years ending in 1983. An elevated recent blood pressure (BP), defined as an SBP greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg on two or more of the last three follow-up examinations, done 13, 14, and 15 years after entry, was found in 3.2% of the cohort. An elevated recent BP was found in 12% of those with an SBP greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg on the first examination, in 31.7% (13 of 41 individuals) of those with an SBP greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg on two or more of the three initial annual examinations, and in 46.2% (6 of 13 men) of those with an SBP greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg on all three initial examinations. It is concluded that three annual determinations of SBP are better predictors of elevated SBP than a single causal BP measurement on entry. Still, their predictive value remains limited; 49% of those with an SBP greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg on two or more of the three initial annual examinations had a normal SBP on all of the last three annual examinations.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Discrimination between iron deficiency and heterozygous beta-thalassemia in children.

The authors studied 119 children with microcytic anemia who were selected by lack of response to a month's treatment with oral iron. Family studies and retesting after further treatment with iron were done in all cases to ensure accurate diagnosis. Seventy-five cases of beta-thalassemia minor (BTM) and 40 cases of iron deficiency were identified. In all 75 cases of BTM, at least one parent had a mean cell volume (MCV) less than 79 microns. In 35 of 40 children with iron deficiency, the MCV of both parents was normal. In contrast, Hb A2 was normal in 15% (11 of 75) of children with BTM, until they received additional treatment with oral iron. The authors conclude that in children with microcytic anemia unresponsive to a month's treatment with oral iron, the MCV of the parents is superior to Hb A2 in discriminating between iron deficiency and heterozygous beta-thalassemia. Repeated testing after additional treatment with oral iron may be needed to ensure accurate diagnosis.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1986

The effect of age on the prevalence of asymptomatic microscopic hematuria.

The medical files of a sample of men who had been followed by annual examinations from 1968 through 1978 were selected, using a random number sequence from the records of the Israel Air Force. One group of 430 men, ages 21-23 at entry, and a second group of 264 men, ages 25-28 at entry, were studied. The results of the urinalysis at entry and after ten years of follow-up were recorded. The point prevalence of all degrees of microhematuria increased significantly with age in both groups. One to three or more red blood cells (RBCs) per high-power field (HPF) were found in 3.5% of the subjects ages 21-23 at entry and in 14.2% in the same subjects ten years later (P = 0.001). Similarly, one to three or more RBCs per HPF were found in 4.9% of men ages 25-28 at entry and in 11.7% of the same subjects ten years later (P = 0.001). The authors conclude that age needs to be taken into consideration in drawing the line between physiologic and pathologic microhematuria.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Spontaneous pneumothorax and mitral valve prolapse.

We searched for mitral valve prolapse in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax to test the hypothesis that both may be part of a common disorder of connective tissue. Echocardiographic mitral valve prolapse was found in 11 (50 percent) of 22 patients who had suffered spontaneous pneumothorax compared to four (10 percent) of 40 age-matched control subjects (p less than 0.01). The body mass index (BMI) (weight/height2) was lower (p less than 0.001) in the group with pneumothorax; in five patients who were the thinnest in the study (BMI less than 2 standard deviations lower than mean normal value), mitral valve prolapse was present in four. The finding of a strong association of spontaneous pneumothorax with mitral valve prolapse, especially in subjects with an abnormal body build, suggests that in many patients, spontaneous pneumothorax may be a manifestation of a systemic abnormality of connective tissue.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction in multiple myeloma patients: effect of adherent mononuclear cells and T lymphocytes.

Autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR) was measured in 12 patients with multiple myeloma. In ten patients depressed AMLR was found. Depletion of adherent monocytes caused enhancement of AMLR in those with a normal OKT4/OKT8 ratio. Only after monocyte depletion was a high correlation found between the AMLR values and the absolute number of OKT+4-T lymphocytes in the patients' peripheral blood. There was an inverse correlation between the suppressive effect of adherent monocytes on AMLR and the patients' serum levels of polyclonal IgG and IgM. Defects in both monocytes and OKT+4-T cells might have caused the low AMLR values and perhaps played a role in multiple myeloma immunodeficiency.

Aged↗
PubMed1986

Low back pain in pilots.

A questionnaire on low back pain (LBP) was administered to 373 fighter pilots, 165 transport pilots, and 264 helicopter pilots. Helicopter pilots had more pain during flight than did fighter or transport pilots (34.5%, 12.9%, and 5.1%, respectively). A history of LBP temporally unassociated with flight was found in 26.5% of helicopter pilots, 31.5% of transport pilots and 25.2% of fighter pilots. We conclude that, despite the pain experienced by helicopter pilots in flight, they are not at increased risk for LBP unassociated with flight.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Blood pressure response to exercise as a predictor of hypertension.

Published studies of the blood pressure response to exercise were reviewed to assess the probability of future hypertension in a subject with a "hypertensive" response to exercise. The reviewed data indicate that the sensitivity of a hypertensive response to exercise for future hypertension varied between 16% and 60%, and the specificity between 53% and 95%. The prevalence of hypertension on follow-up among normotensive subjects with a hypertensive response to exercise testing was 2.06 to 3.39 times higher than that among subjects with a normotensive response. Therefore, blood pressure response to exercise does have a predictive value for future hypertension. However, this predictive value is limited, since 38.1% to 89.3% of those with a hypertensive response to exercise did not have hypertension on follow-up, and a normotensive response only marginally reduced the risk of future hypertension. The use of exercise testing as a predictor of hypertension is still in need of experimental development and confirmation.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1986

Prevalence of postural T wave changes in mitral valve prolapse: a quantitative study.

The abnormal ECG T wave changes associated with mitral valve prolapse (MVP) were studied and quantitated in a group of 36 asymptomatic individuals with MVP and compared with a 27-member control group. The mean frontal plane T wave axis shifted markedly leftward on standing, with T wave axis less than or equal to 0 degrees in 16 (44%) of the subjects with MVP vs. only 2 (7.4%) of the control group, while the QRS-T angle widened to more than 60 degrees in 18 (50%) of those with MVP. Marked left axis deviation of the T wave on standing with T wave axis less than or equal to -30 degrees was found only in subjects with MVP, and their QTc interval was longer, P less than 0.05. In 11 subjects with mitral valve bowing or rounding on the echocardiogram (i.e., less than 2 mm posterior mitral valve displacement), intermediate grades of T wave axis shifts were seen.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Central serous retinopathy (choroidopathy) in pilots.

The clinical charts of pilots in the Israeli Airforce were reviewed retrospectively for evidence of central serous retinopathy (CSR). There were 14 pilots with documented CSR identified, with an incidence of 1.3 per 1000 per year. Of 6 pilots who had recurrent attacks, 5 had a decrease of visual acuity during the initial attack to at least 20/30 in the affected eye. On the other hand, in those with visual acuity no worse than 20/25, only 1 of 7 had recurrent attacks (p less than 0.05). We conclude that CSR is a common condition in pilots, and that visual acuity during the initial attack can predict those who will have recurrent disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

The significance of recurrent childhood respiratory disorders in flight training applicants.

A random sample of 1700 18-year-old applicants for flight training, who had been free from respiratory symptoms for 1 year or more, was screened for respiratory symptoms in the past. Those who denied such a history had a questionnaire sent to their parents for further verification. Altogether 70 subjects with a past history of "wheezing," "asthma," or "spastic bronchitis" were thus identified. Abnormalities in either FEV1/FVC, Vmax50 or Vmax75 were found in 40% of the subjects with a history of childhood "wheezing," "asthma," or "spastic bronchitis," but only in 8% of controls without such a history. A history of wheezing had no effect on the RV/TLC ratio. The age at which the last bout had occurred had no apparent effect on the degree of flow abnormalities. The most sensitive index for a flow abnormality was Vmax50, which was less than 74% of the predicted values in 2/(30%) of the 70 subjects tested. It is concluded that, in subjects with a history of "wheezing," "asthma," or "spastic bronchitis," flow abnormalities may persist even after prolonged remissions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

Factors associated with microhematuria in asymptomatic young men.

The prevalence of asymptomatic microhematuria (two to four or more erythrocytes per high-power field) in 1341 male Air Force personnel was 5.4%. The most powerful predictor of microhematuria (nearly 15-fold increased prevalence) was a history of recurrent microhematuria during the previous five years. Recurrent microscopic hematuria was present in 14.5% (8/55) of men with a history of urethritis, accounting for 26% (8/31) of the cases of recurrent microscopic hematuria. The prevalence of microhematuria was not affected by physical exercise, flight duty, or sexual intercourse during the 24 h preceding the urinalysis.

Adolescent↗