Aviat Space Envir Md
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Aviat Space Envir Md · May 1994
Viral hepatitis in the U.S. Air Force, 1980-89: an epidemiological and serological study.
This paper reports the epidemiology of hospital-diagnosed acute viral hepatitis in U. S. Air Force personnel from 1980-89. ⋯ Members hospitalized for hepatitis B had a prior or concurrent diagnosis for sexually transmitted disease in 37% of cases; for drug abuse, 32% of cases. Serum samples from 332 individuals demonstrated that hepatitis A had the highest rate of agreement (84%) between serology and hospital discharge diagnosis. Only 3% of individuals with the diagnosis of NANB hepatitis were positive for hepatitis C.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Apr 1994
Case ReportsRetinal vein occlusions: case reviews of USAF aviators.
Retinal vein occlusions are primarily a disease of the elderly, frequently with permanent visual abnormalities. However, both branch and central retinal vein occlusions occur rarely in young individuals. Reported here are a series of retinal vein occlusions in USAF aviators. ⋯ All seven aviators recovered 20/15 vision and returned to flying status. Hyperlipidemia was found in four of the seven aviators, and hypertension was diagnosed in two aviators. Included is a discussion of current concepts in the natural history, associated systemic conditions, treatment options, and aeromedical implications of retinal vein occlusions.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Dec 1993
Case ReportsUse of a disposable carbon dioxide detector with emergency intubation in a hyperbaric chamber.
Emergency intubation in a hyperbaric chamber can be complicated by the confined space, inadequate lighting and high levels of background noise. Inadvertent esophageal intubation may be difficult to recognize in these conditions. ⋯ Within a hyperbaric chamber, a capnograph may not be readily available for this purpose. We present a case report describing the use of a simple disposable colorimetric carbon dioxide detector for rapid verification of endotracheal tube position following emergency intubation in a hyperbaric chamber.
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Aviat Space Envir Md · Oct 1993
Seven-day pyridostigmine administration and thermoregulation during rest and exercise in dry heat.
Seven men participated in a double-blind study of effects of multiple-dose oral pyridostigmine bromide (PB) on physiological responses to 4-h heat stress tests (HST's) in a hot dry environment, 42 degrees C, 20% relative humidity. Subjects underwent 2 7-d series of tests, separated by 72 h, taking 30 mg PB every 8 h in one series, and placebo in the other. Each HST began right after the 0800 dose of PB or placebo. ⋯ PB increased sweating and evaporative water loss by about 4%, and lowered chest skin temperature during exercise by 0.7 degrees C; but it had no significant effect on rectal temperature, other skin temperatures, O2 uptake, or fluid balance. PB alone had no significant effect on heart rate (HR), but had a significant interaction with day: although PB had essentially no effect on HR in the 1st HST, its effect increased progressively so that HR during exercise in the 4th HST was 8 beats.min-1 lower with PB. Multiple-dose PB had only slight effects on responses to moderate exercise-heat stress beyond those described after single-dose PB, and we found no adverse effects of multiple-dose PB administration.