Aviat Space Envir Md
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Sep 2006
Survivability and injuries from use of rocket-assisted ejection seats: analysis of 232 cases.
Ejection injury has been documented with respect to non-rocket-assisted seats, but there is little information on injuries associated with rocket-assisted seats. This study analyses the survivability of military accidents and the injuries associated with rocket-assisted ejection. ⋯ Information from this study has lead to a redesign of the Tornado ejection seat headbox, an improvement in the Tornado ejection catapult dynamics, an upgrade of escape system parachutes, and provided evidence that future aircraft should be fitted with an arm restraint system.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Jun 2006
ReviewPhysician roles in aeromedical evacuation: current practices in USAF operations.
Physicians play an increasingly important role in the critical medical process of aeromedical evacuation (AE). Incomplete or inappropriate preparation for AE can result in increased patient discomfort, and in the worst cases, potentially serious or insurmountable in-flight medical problems. During military operations and in response to natural disasters, physicians are responsible for four processes necessary for a successful AE mission. ⋯ S. military patient evacuation system is comprised of three principal transportation phases: casualty evacuation; inter-theater AE; and intra-theater AE. Important elements of the USAF AE system are patient movement requirements centers, the validating flight surgeon, aeromedical staging facilities, AE liaison teams, aeromedical crews, and critical care air transport (CCAT) teams. Important medical aspects unique to AE include the effects of flight physiology on medical conditions, oxygen limitations, and distinctive medication and supplies requirements.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Jun 2006
Venous bubble count declines during strenuous exercise after an open sea dive to 30 m.
The effect of post-dive exercise on bubble formation remains controversial, although the current practice of divers and aviators is to avoid strenuous exercise after diving. Previously, we have shown that exercising 24 h before a dive, or during a decompression stop, significantly reduces bubble formation in man. The objective of this study was to determine whether a short period of strenuous post-dive exercise promotes venous bubble formation. ⋯ These results suggest that post-dive strenuous exercise after a single field dive reduces post-dive gas bubble formation in well-trained military divers. Additional findings are needed for normal sports divers.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · May 2006
Medical qualification of a commercial spaceflight participant: not your average astronaut.
Candidates for commercial spaceflight may be older than the typical astronaut and more likely to have medical problems that place them at risk during flight. Since the effects of microgravity on many medical conditions are unknown, physicians have little guidance when evaluating and certifying commercial spaceflight participants. This dynamic new era in space exploration may provide important data for evaluating medical conditions, creating appropriate medical standards, and optimizing treatment alternatives for long-duration spaceflight. ⋯ Non-career astronauts applying for commercial suborbital and orbital spaceflight will, at least in the near future, challenge aerospace physicians with unknowns regarding safety during training and flight, and highlight important ethical and risk-assessment problems. The information obtained from this new group of space travelers will provide important data for the evaluation and in-flight treatment of medical problems that space programs have not yet addressed systematically, and may improve the medical preparedness of exploration-class missions.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · May 2006
Balloon crash damage and injuries: an analysis of 86 accidents, 2000-2004.
General aviation accounts for the majority of aviation crashes and casualties in the United States. The role of ballooning in these statistics is not regularly studied. Since 2001, the National Transportation and Safety Board has made its accident reports more readily available, which presents opportunities for further study. ⋯ The absence of student pilot accidents may be explained by possible stricter supervision. Balloon basket and envelopes appear of sufficient quality to withstand crashes, but improving the protection of passengers during hard landings should help to decrease the number of serious injuries in ballooning.