Aviat Space Envir Md
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Sep 1994
ReviewCombat stress, combat fatigue, and psychiatric disability in aircrew.
A survey of the literature reveals little data regarding modern aviation and combat-related stress, fatigue, or psychiatric disabilities. What little is known about combat fatigue in aircrew is largely inferred from literature written about ground personnel. Understanding the unique aviation environment is necessary in order to develop effective combat fatigue prevention programs. ⋯ Combat stress, fatigue, and psychiatric disabilities are common battlefield conditions, but are largely preventable. If not prevented or treated appropriately, combat stress reactions will frequently lead to more serious psychiatric disabilities, causing the evacuation of the combatant away from his or her unit with no expectation of return to duty. Appropriate intervention using the basic principles of proximity, immediacy, and expectancy are crucial in reducing these casualties and returning aviation personnel to combat duty.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Sep 1994
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialTreatment of mild immersion hypothermia by forced-air warming.
Forced-air warming is used for prevention or reversal of hypothermia in surgical patients. In the present study, the efficacy of this system for treatment of immersion hypothermia was evaluated. Six men and two women were twice immersed in 8 degrees C water until hypothermic. ⋯ During shivering heat flux ranged from 30 W early in rewarming, to 50 W after 35 min, compared to -237 W and -163 W respectively, for forced-air warming. Forced-air warming attenuated afterdrop and the metabolic stress of shivering while maintaining an average rate of rewarming comparable to shivering. Forced-air warming is a safe, simple, noninvasive treatment and could be used effectively in an emergency medical facility, and possibly in some rescue/emergency vehicles or marine vessels.