Aviat Space Envir Md
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Mar 2004
Case ReportsRenal artery dissection associated with Gz acceleration.
A 55-yr-old male presented with flank pain and nausea minutes after intensive aerobatic flight maneuvers. An initial diagnosis of acute appendicitis was made. Computed axial tomography and renal arteriography showed a right kidney with two renal arteries, a right upper pole infarction, and a dissection in the upper renal artery which had a more vertical trajectory than the usual main renal artery. ⋯ The patient recovered without residual hypertension. Heavy positive G loads may have potential to cause renal arterial injury, particularly when renal vascular anatomical variations exist. The postulated mechanism is similar to fall injuries in which the subjects landed on their feet, with inertia causing caudal renal dislodgement and stretch of the renal vessels.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Mar 2004
Case ReportsThe maintenance of wakefulness test as a predictor of alertness in aircrew members with idiopathic hypersomnia.
Aviators are required to maintain a high level of alertness during their missions. Two conditions that may disrupt this alertness are fatigue and hypersomnia. Fatigue is a physiological state, while hypersomnia is a pathologic state, also termed excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), which is manifested by the tendency to fall asleep in inappropriate places or situations, such as during flight or driving. ⋯ The Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) consists of four 40-min sessions during which the patient attempts to maintain wakefulness while seated in a dark, quiet room during the day. Herein we report 2 cases of aviators who were returned to flying duty despite a pathologic MSLT. These aviators were waivered based on a normal MWT and safety history obtained from their commanders.
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With the anticipated growth of air travel, inflight illness and injury are expected to increase as well. This is because more elderly people and people with preexisting disease are taking to the air. Although inflight medical events and deaths are uncommon, physician passengers are occasionally called upon to render care. ⋯ This paper describes those inflight resources available to a physician who is called upon to treat an ill or injured passenger. In a broader sense, it is also providing advice to physicians who administer inflight medical care. The Aviation Medical Assistance Act of 1998 ("Good Samaritan act") is also discussed.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Feb 2004
Speech intelligibility with helicopter noise: tests of three helmet-mounted communication systems.
Military aviator helmet communications systems are designed to enhance speech intelligibility (SI) in background noise and reduce exposure to harmful levels of noise. Some aviators, over the course of their aviation career, develop noise-induced hearing loss that may affect their ability to perform required tasks. New technology can improve SI in noise for aviators with normal hearing as well as those with hearing loss. ⋯ To insure optimum SI in noise for rotary-wing aviators, consideration should be given to retrofitting existing aviator helmets with new technology, and incorporating such advances in communication systems of the future. Review of standards for determining fitness to fly is needed.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Feb 2004
Historical ArticleThis month in aerospace medicine history--February 2004.