SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “AVIATION”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

PubMed1991

The adequacy of corrective lenses worn by United States Air Force aviators for annual flight medical examinations.

Aviators presenting for annual flight medical examinations at the 379th Strategic Hospital at Wurtsmith Air Force Base were studied to determine the prevalence of substandard visual acuity. The prevalence of the use of outdated (superseded) corrective lenses was also studied. We conducted 342 examinations on different aviators and 92 (26.9%) of these aviators were found to require corrective lenses. There were 23 (6.7%) aviators who were found to have inadequate visual acuity and 14 of these (4.1%) were found to be wearing superseded lenses. The visual screening method prescribed by the United States Air Force did not identify four of the aviators who wore superseded lenses. Three aviators were found to be wearing lenses obtained from civil sources. The study suggests that improvements could be made in U.S. Air Force visual screening and care.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1991

Estimate of requirements for detection and treatment of hypercholesterolemia in U.S. Army aviators.

In May 1988, the Army Surgeon General issued guidelines and a preliminary plan for evaluation and treatment of hypercholesterolemia, based on the recommendations of the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert Panel. Implementation of this plan in the aviation population would require an unknown number of aviators to undergo testing and possibly therapy for hypercholesterolemia. This study uses a mathematical model and information from the Aviation Epidemiology Data Register to estimate the number of aviators who would require detailed lipoprotein analysis and at least dietary therapy, based on evaluation of their total serum cholesterol and other coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors, as described in the expert panel report. The model predicts that at least 27% of all aviators would require LDL screening, and 24.6% of all aviators would require dietary or drug therapy.

Aerospace Medicine↗

PubMed1991

The career impact of keratoconus on Air Force aviators.

Keratoconus causes progressive blurring and distortion of vision, which threatens the career of a military aviator. To assess the impact of keratoconus on flying careers, we reviewed the records of all aviators with keratoconus who have been examined at the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine over the past 23 years. Of the 22 aviators observed for more than three years, 18 were still qualified to fly at their most recent examination. The remaining four aviators were permanently removed from flying duties because of visual dysfunction caused by keratoconus. Of the 22 aviators examined, 15 required hard contact lenses for optimal correction of vision. No aircraft accidents or incidents, attributable to visual factors, were documented. We concluded that the majority of aviators with keratoconus are able to continue their flying careers safely with the aid of spectacles or contact lenses.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

The history of aviation medicine in Argentina.

Ascents in balloons were first performed in Buenos Aires in 1855, and this activity was later regulated through the "Argentine Air Club," founded in 1908, whose Vice President, Jorge Newbery, subsequently became officially known as the "Founder of Argentine Aeronautics." Airplanes appeared and the first pilots' licenses were granted on June 17, 1910. Medical advice was given for such feats as crossing The Andes Cordillera in a balloon in 1915. Medical requirements for flying activities led to the creation of the Psychophysical Fitness Center in 1922, the first of its kind in Argentina and South America. There, selection and periodical check-ups were performed according to medical standards prepared by Agesilao Milano, M.D., the Founder of Aviation Medicine in Argentina. Sanitary aviation began in 1911, and was formally organized in 1940. The first paper in aviation medicine was published in 1924. Teaching and research in aviation medicine started in 1933, and continued after the creation of the National Institute of Aviation Medicine in 1945, taking as its basic objective the physical fitness qualification for all flying activities. The Institute has been recognized as a University Establishment and rules Argentine national policy in aviation medicine.

Aerospace Medicine↗

PubMed1990

Renal calculi in army aviators.

A study of U.S. Army active duty aviators was done using the Aeromedical Epidemiology Data Repository (AEDR) for the period of January 1984 through December 1987 to determine the incidence of renal calculi in this population. Age-specific rates were found to be highest in the 30-54 year age group. The overall annual incidence was determined to be 4.7/1000 population of white male aviators. After standardization to the 1960 U.S. white population, the incidence in aviators was found to be 2.2/1000, almost double that of a Rochester, MN male population (1.2/1000). The aviation environment may predispose Army aviators to dehydration and play an etiologic role in the genesis of renal calculi. Medical evaluation, treatment, and administrative disposition of Army aviators with renal calculi are also briefly discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Contact lenses in aviation: the Marine Corps experience.

In an attempt to limit safety and health risks, Naval Aeromedical Policy has historically prohibited the use of contact lenses in the Navy and Marine Corps Class 1 Aviation Personnel (pilots), approximately 18% of whom require spectacles. Recent technological advancements have rendered spectacles functionally incompatible with some mission-essential masks, goggles, and imaging devices, thus forcing a re-examination of existing policy. Recent U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force aviation studies favorably compare the performance of contact lenses to spectacles. In order to test the application of contact lenses in the unique U.S. Marine Corps aviation environment, encompassing shipboard, land-based, and forwardly-deployed units, 90 aviation personnel assigned to several deploying squadrons were evaluated for contact lenses; flex-wear disposable lenses were the primary modality of choice. Of the subjects, 68 (73%) were successfully fit and continued contact lens wear for a period of 16 months. Safety and health were not compromised, and job performance was favorably affected. No cases of ulcerative keratitis or vision loss were reported. The first U.S. Marine Corps aviation contact lens study supports the growing belief that contact lenses can be safely and effectively applied in the critical and hazardous aviation environment.

Aerospace Medicine↗

PubMed1997

[Advancement and goals of the aviation human engineering].

Analyzed were the efforts of the State Scientific-Research Test Institute of Aviation and Space Medicine to weigh and account the human factor in designing and upgrading avionics and aviation machinery. Described are the policy of human engineering support to the development, evaluation, and operation of aviation machinery, and the benefits from the human factor knowledge to the specifications for aviation machinery and allowance for the psychophysiological aptitudes of human on different phases of development of ergatic aviation systems. Outlined is the mainstream of ergonomic enhancement of the quality and safety, and humanization of the activities of different aviation specialists.

Academies and Institutes↗

PubMed1997

Long-term follow-up of aviators after functional endoscopic sinus surgery for sinus barotrauma.

Prior to endonasal endoscopic advances for the treatment of sinus disease, surgical results for aviators with recurrent sinus barotrauma (RSB) were inconsistent. Between 1988 and 1992, 54 aviators, who were permanently or temporarily grounded, underwent functional endoscopic sinus (FES) surgery in an attempt to return them to active flying status. Follow-up in the immediate postoperative period revealed that 98% of these aviators returned to active flight duty. A questionnaire was mailed to each of these aviators to compare their preoperative and long-term postoperative symptoms and determine their current flying status. Long-term follow-up time ranged from 20 to 72 mo with average of 48 mo. Of the aviators who responded to the survey, 92% have continued their flying duties and do not report difficulties with RSB. We conclude that FES surgery is effective in the short- and long-term management RSB in aviators.

Aerospace Medicine↗

PubMed1995

[Brief history of the otolaryngology department in the Air-Force Institute of aviation medicine].

Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine with Clinics, celebrating its 67th anniversary, continues the traditions of research institute of Aeromedical Studies Centre, established in 1928. In 1936 it was renamed in to Leibnitz Institute of Medical Studies. The activity of aeromedical service was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II and continued in the Laboratory of Aviation Physiology and Hygiene. In 1946, Central Laboratory of Aviation Medicine was established, together with the Clinic and Aeromedical Commission, converted into Central Institute of Aeromedical Studies in 1947 and then, into Military Scientific Research and Experimental Institute of Aviation Medicine. In 1958 it was given the name of Air Force Institute of Aviation Medicine-in 1972-with Clinics. Simultaneously with scientific-research activity, aviation medicine developed, dealing with specifics factors affecting pilots during flights. As far otolaryngology is concerned, it deals, apart from the treatment being the domain of otolaryngologists, with histopathology of the equilibrium system and auditory organ, effects of rapid changes, barometric pressure and acceleration on human organism, the influence of weightlessness, the phenomenon of habituation and the effect of Coriolis acceleration on the equilibrium system.

Aerospace Medicine↗

PubMed2000

Human factors and aviation safety: what the industry has, what the industry needs.

The use of statistical analyses to assert safety levels has persuasively been established within the aviation industry. Likewise, variations in regional statistics have led to generalizations about safety levels in different contexts. Caution is proposed when qualitatively linking statistics and aviation's resilience to hazards. Further caution is proposed when extending generalizations across contexts. Statistical analyses--the favoured diagnostic tool of aviation--show sequences of cause/effect relationships reflecting agreed categorizations prevalent in safety breakdowns. They do not, however, reveal the processes underlying such relationships. It is contended that the answers to the safety questions in contemporary aviation will not be found through the numbers, but through the understanding of the processes underpinning the numbers. These processes and their supporting beliefs are influenced by contextual constraints and cultural factors, which in turn influence individual and organizational performance. It is further contended that the contribution of human factors is fundamental in achieving this understanding. This paper, therefore (1) argues in favour of a macro view of aviation safety, (2) suggests the need to revise a long-standing safety paradigm that appears to have ceased to be effective, and (3) discusses the basic premises upon which a revised safety paradigm should build.

Accidents, Aviation↗

PubMed1999

Introduction and summary of principal conclusions of the Second European Workshop in Aviation Cardiology.

Aviation is the only system of mass transportation regulated by international statute. The responsible agency is the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a safety directorate of the United Nations Organization. In 1995 almost 1-3 billion passengers were carried by the airlines of the world, the previous decade having seen a 50% growth in the number of passengers and the amount of freight carried. The total complement of professional pilots world-wide is approximately 455,000, although a significantly greater number of licence holders are involved in private or recreational flying. Approximately 11,500 large commercial transport aircraft are in service. All nations are signatories to the Chicago Convention of 1944, which, with its Annexes, forms the legal basis for an international agreement on aviation safety. Chapter six of Annex I contains the 'International Standards and Recommended Practices' (ISARPs) for the medical licensing of personnel which have been adopted and revised from time to time by the ICAO. The standards are interpreted by the relevant chapter in the Manual of Civil Aviation Medicine, first published in 1974 and last revised 18 years ago. Its status is only advisory, and it is currently being rewritten. As a part of the European harmonization process, the Joint Airworthiness Authorities directorate (now the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA)) was set up as a supranational European body to agree explicit standards for the 29 signatory nations, and to regulate all aspects of certification. The new medical standard, which is complementary to that of the ICAO, is due to be promulgated in July 1999 whilst the cardiological standard, which has already undergone comprehensive revision, has yet to be agreed. Hafner has reviewed the JAA process in this supplement.

Accidents, Aviation↗

PubMed1983

The controller, aviation medicine and air safety.

Aviation medicine has researched many important facts on pilots, but little on direct relationships between controllers, aviation medicine and air safety. The unsuspecting flying public accepts a 'blind faith' in aircraft and pilots, unaware that aircraft are controlled within 'suspect' ATC systems. The deceptive simplicity of controlling air traffic in apparently limitless skies belies the complexity of man-machine ATC systems operated in ever-crowded airspace, sometimes with antiquated equipment and indifferent communications. The indivisible operational controller/pilot team strives to meet similar ICAO medical standards and operate within the limitations of non-standardised recorded air traffic. Despite controllers' intensive stress at air disasters and 'almost' air disasters, air traffic must continually be controlled for air safety; but, countless human lives (and insurance dollars) saved are possibly camouflaged within the smoke screen of ATC. In New Zealand aviation, the Accident Compensation Corporation is statutorily responsible for air-safety, but accident investigators need controllers' expertise. Has a climate of complacency evolved towards air safety such that New Zealand's Erebus and other air disasters could have been avoided? Controllers are that crucial link in aviation with personal medical fitness vital to the air safety of the unsuspecting flying public. Controllers' dedicated aim for complete air safety in ATC shall benefit from greater understanding within aviation medicine and in-depth medical research.

Accident Prevention↗

PubMed2000

Hereditary hemochromatosis among U.S. Army aviators.

From 1988 to 1995, there were five reported cases of hemochromatosis among U.S. Army aviators. Three of the five are presented and discussed. The cases of hereditary hemochromatosis were discovered during unrelated work-ups or from investigation of a positive family history, and not by routine flying duty medical examinations. Recent studies show a prevalence of 5 per 1000 in the general population. This study shows the incidence among Army aviators is 0.296 per 1,000 aviator-years of observation. It is possible that there are cases presently undiagnosed in the Army aviation community. Without screening measures in place, the Army Aviation Branch has greater difficulty diagnosing and treating hereditary hemochromatosis. Heightened awareness and a high clinical index of suspicion are necessary to identify affected patients. Early detection and treatment is essential to prevent long-term end organ damage from iron deposition.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Medicine and aviation: a review of the comparison.

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to understand the nature of medical error in highly technological environments and argues that a comparison with aviation can blur its real understanding. METHODS: This study is a comparative study between the notion of error in health care and aviation based on the author's own ethnographic study in intensive care units and findings from the research literature on errors in aviation. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Failures in the use of medical technology are common. In attempts to understand the area of medical error, much attention has focused on how we can learn from aviation. This paper argues that such a comparison is not always useful, on the basis that (i) the type of work and technology is very different in the two domains; (ii) different issues are involved in training and procurement; and (iii) attitudes to error vary between the domains. Therefore, it is necessary to look closely at the subject of medical error and resolve those questions left unanswered by the lessons of aviation.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMed2003

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in pilot fatalities of civil aviation accidents, 1990-2001.

INTRODUCTION: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are popularly prescribed for treating depression. With a few exceptions, these psychotropic medications are not approved by aeromedical regulatory authorities for use by aviators. Since SSRIs have the potential for impairing performance and causing drug-drug interactions, the prevalence of SSRIs in pilot fatalities of civil aviation accidents was evaluated. METHODS: Postmortem samples from pilots involved in fatal civil aircraft accidents are submitted to the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) for toxicological evaluation. Findings from such evaluations are maintained in the CAMI Toxicology Database. This database was examined for the presence of SSRIs in pilot fatalities of the accidents that occurred during 1990-2001. RESULTS: Out of 4,184 fatal civil aviation accidents from which CAMI received samples, there were 61 accidents in which pilot fatalities had SSRIs. Of these accidents, 56 were of the general aviation category, 2 were of the air taxi and commuter category, 2 were of the agricultural category, and 1 was of the ultralight category. Blood concentrations of SSRIs in the fatalities were 11-1121 ng x ml(-1) for fluoxetine; 47-13102 ng x ml(-1) for sertraline; 68-1441 ng x ml(-1) for paroxetine; and 314-462 ng x ml(-1) for citalopram. In 39 of the 61 pilots, other drugs--for example, analgesics, antihistaminics, benzodiazepines, narcotic analgesics, and/or sympathomimetics--and/or ethanol were also present. As determined by the National Transportation Safety Board, the use of an SSRI [with or without other drug(s) and/or ethanol] has been a contributory factor in at least 9 of the 61 accidents. CONCLUSIONS: Numbers of SSRI-involved accidents were low, and blood SSRI concentrations in the associated pilot fatalities ranged from subtherapeutic to toxic levels. However, the interactive effects of other drug(s), ethanol, and/or even altitude hypoxia in producing adverse effects in the pilots cannot be ruled out. Findings from this study should be useful in investigating SSRI and other substance-involved accidents and in making decisions concerning the use of SSRIs in aviation.

Accidents, Aviation↗

PubMed2000

Monovision contact lens use in the aviation environment: a report of a contact lens-related aircraft accident.

BACKGROUND: The use of contact lenses to satisfy the distance visual acuity requirements for obtaining a civil airman medical certificate has been permitted since 1976. According to the Federal Aviation Administrations Guide for Aviation Medical Examiners, the use of monovision contact lenses is not considered acceptable for aviation duties. METHODS: A report is presented using information from a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) aircraft report (NTSB/AAR-97/03) of a nonfatal accident on a scheduled airline flight. Past studies on the use of contact lenses in the aviation environment are reviewed. RESULTS: On October 19, 1996, a McDonnell Douglas MD-88 aircraft, Delta Airlines Flight 554, was substantially damaged in an undershoot approach while landing at LaGuardia Airport, Flushing, New York. The approach, with less than favorable weather conditions, was over water to Runway 13 and the flight crew transitioned to visual references just above the decision height. During continued descent, the plane struck an approach light structure and the end of the runway deck, shearing off the main landing gear and sliding 2,700 feet down the runway. CONCLUSIONS: The NTSB determined that the probable cause of this accident was the inability of the pilot to overcome his misperception of the airplane's position relative to the runway, due to the use of monovision contact lenses. The adverse effects of wearing contact lenses in the aviation environment are discussed.

Accidents, Aviation↗

PubMed2005

An evaluation of civilian aviation accidents in Turkey from 1955 to 2004.

BACKGROUND: Documentation and analysis of aviation accidents is very important to improve aviation safety and post-accident survival. In this study we aimed to evaluate the civilian aviation accidents between 1955 and 2003 in Turkey to identify the risk factors for fatal and non-fatal injuries. METHODS: Records of Civilian Aviation Office of The Turkish Ministry of Transportation were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 562 aviation accidents occurred within the boundaries of Turkey in the 48-year study period. There was at least one casualty in 237 of these accidents. There were 27 major accidents with more than 5 casualties. There were more major accidents with survivors than without survivors. Major accidents occurred more frequently within the near vicinity of an airport. There are significantly more accidents with survivors in the accidents occurring near the airports. The mean number of accidents with more than 50 casualties is 0.167 (8/48) per year. CONCLUSION: Accidents occurring near the airports have a more chance of having survivors. Emergency disaster preparedness plans should be on hand and drills with no more than 50 injured should be regularly exercised in all airports.

Accidents, Aviation↗

PubMed2005

Toxicological findings from 1587 civil aviation accident pilot fatalities, 1999-2003.

INTRODUCTION: The prevalence of drug and ethanol use in aviation is monitored by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Under such monitoring, toxicological studies for the 1989-1993 and 1994-1998 periods indicated lower percentages of the presence of controlled substances (illegal drugs) than that of prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) drugs in aviation accident pilot fatalities. In continuation, a toxicological assessment was made for an additional period of 5 yr. METHODS: Biosamples from aviation accident pilot fatalities submitted to the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI) are analyzed, and those findings are stored in a database. This database was examined for the 1999-2003 period for the presence of controlled substances (Schedules I-V), prescription/nonprescription drugs, and ethanol in the fatalities. RESULTS: Out of 1629 fatal aviation accidents from which CAMI received biosamples, pilots were fatally injured in 1587 accidents. Drugs and/or ethanol were found in 830 (52%) of the 1587 fatalities. Controlled substances from Schedules I-II (SI-II) and Schedules III-V (SIII-V) were detected in 113 and 42 pilots, respectively. Prescription drugs were present in 315 pilots, nonprescription drugs in 259, and ethanol in 101. SI-II substances were detected in 5 of 122 first-class medical certificate-holding airline transport pilots. In addition to the controlled substances, many of the prescription/nonprescription drugs found in the fatalities have the potential for impairing performance. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study were consistent with those of two previous toxicological studies and support the FAA's programs aimed at reducing the usage of performance-impairing substances.

Accidents, Aviation↗