Aviation medicine

The only snag seems to be in what one breathes while traveUing. Under normal circumstances, the aircraft cabin environment is bad enough. An aircraft 

Antarctica. Inside the aircraft, humans release on occasion, hostile viruses and bacteria, shed dead skin particles, fungal spores and emit body odours .  

Researchers have carried out tests over several years and concluded that passengers and crew have, immediately after flights, suffered from a range of common and similar symptoms which leave them debihtated, weak and suffering from coughing and difficulty to breathe. This basket of symptoms, which is yet to be identified as a single disease, is called the aerotoxic syndrome. The toxicity and 

However, in the 90s, ironically with more evolved technology, ventilation systems in aircraft were built in such a way as to recycle stale air, thus increasing the chances of survival of bacteria and deleterious particles in the aircraft cabin. Even if such a practice were ineluctable, in that recycling is a universal practice which is calculated to conserve fuel, a prudent airline would lake other measures, such as change of air filters through which ventilation is provided. 

Captain John Hoyte, Aerotoxic Syndrome - Aviation s Best Kept Secret, http //www.aerotoxic. org/download/docs/news and atticles/NEXUS-Aerotoxic-Syndrome.pdf The term aerotoxic syndrome was first suggested in 1999. See Winder et al. (2002). 

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DOT. 1994b. Simultaneous gas-chromatographic determination of four toxic gases generally present in combustion atmospheres. Report to U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aviation Medicine by the Civil Aeromedical Institute, Oklahoma City, OK. 

Crane CR, Sanders DC, Endecott BR, et al. 1986. Inhalation toxicology VI. Evaluation of the relative toxicity of thermal decomposition products from nine aircraft panel materials. Washington, DC Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aviation Medicine. DOT/FAA/AM-86/3. 

ShappeU S. A., and Wiegmann D. A. The Human Factors Analysis and Classification System-HFACS. FAA Office of Aviation Medicine. Washington, DC Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, 2000. (Report DOT/FAA/AM-00/7)... 

Nicholson et al. (63) summarized the research performed by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Institute of Aviation Medicine that showed that pemoline (30 and 40 mg) was beneficial for a 12-hr period of high-workload, overnight performance, and that the positive effects of the drug extended somewhat beyond the work... 

Fix, E. and Flodges, J. L. (1951). Discriminatory analysis. Nonparametric discrimination Consistency properties. Technical Report 4, U.S. Air Force, School of Aviation Medicine, Texas. 

CHIRP (Confidential Human Factors Incident Reporting Programme) is a clear example of a successful voluntary near miss reporting system, run by the UK s RAF s Institute of Aviation Medicine. Each year about 200 pilots and air traffic controllers report to CHIRP, not anonymously but in complete confidence, about mistakes they have made in the air and why they believe they made them (Greene, 1990). 

Chiang, S.P., Gessert, C.F., and Lowry, O.H. (1957) In Research Report 56-113, Air University School of Aviation Medicine USAF, Texas, p. 1. 

The authors are grateful to H. G. Clamann, School of Aviation Medicine, USAF, for his continuous advice, F. C. Bock, the Armour Research Foundation, for aid in statistical analysis of the experimental data, and Robert Brabets for engineering design of the ozone chamber. 

Receiveid for review June 6, 1957. Accepted June 19, 1957. Study supported by funds provided under contract AF 18(600)-944 with the USAF School of Aviation Medicine, Randolph Field, Tex. 

As there is much confusion in the literature on the actual toxicity of ozone, experiments on animals were conducted at Armour Research Foundation under contract with School of Aviation Medicine, US Air Force. The results of these studies on acute and chronic exposure to ozone are reported here and by Mittler and coworkers 12). 

The results indicate great differences in the LDqq rate for various laboratory animals. On the basis of these results it was decided that only studies on man could produce reliable information on the toxicity of ozone to man. Such studies were conducted by the School of Aviation Medicine, utilizing the existing facilities of Armour Research Foundation. 

Sharp J and Ernsting J (1988). Hypoxia and hyperventilation. In Aviation Medicine, 2nd Edition (J Ernsting and P King, eds), pp. 45-59. London, UK Butterworths. 

G4. Click, D., Alpert, M., and Stechlein, H. R., The determination of L-ascorbic acid and dehydro-L-ascorbic acid plus diketo-L-guIonic acid in microgram quantities of tissue. Project Report (pp. 1-9), Air Univ., School of Aviation Medicine, Randolph Field, Texas, 1953. 

Adler, H.F. et aL 1950. Effect of various drugs on psychomotor performance at ground level and simulated altitudes of 18,000 feet in a low pressure chamber Journal of Aviation Medicine 21 221—236. 

Chervak, S., and Drury, C. G. (1995), Simplified English Vrdidation, in Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance—Phase 6 Progess Report, DOT/FAA/AM-95/xx. Federal Aviation Administration/ Office of Aviation Medicine, National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA. 

Stem, J. A., Boyer, D. J., Sehroeder, D, Touchstone, M. R., Stoliarov, N. (1996). Blinks, saccades, and fixation pauses during vigilanee task performance II. Gender and time-of-day. DOT/FAA/AM/96/9. FAA Office of Aviation Medicine. 

Harris, N. O., Swanson, A., and Segreto, V. The Infrared Spectral Characteristics of Human Whole Stimulated Saliva Collected from Individuals Classified as to Dental Caries Experience (Report 56-90) Brooks Air Force Base, Texas School of Aviation Medicine, Dental Sciences Div., June 1959. 

Shappell, S., and D. Wiegmann. The Human Eactors Analysis and Classification System—HFACS. Civil Aeromedical Medical Institute, Oklahoma City, OK, Office of Aviation Medicine Technical Report COT/EAA/AN-O077,2000. 

Fix, E., and J. Hodges. 1951. Discriminatory Analysis—Nonparametric Discrimination Consistency Properties. Technical Report 21-49-004, Report No. 04. Randolph Field, Tex. USAF School of Aviation Medicine. 

Anon., German Aviation Medicine, World War II, Voi. 2, Government Printing Office, Washington, DC, 1950. 

PREPARED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA UNDER CONTRACT NO. AF 41(128)-31. USAF SCHOOL OF AVIATION MEDICINE, RANDOLPH FIELD, TEXAS (1951)... 

Benson, A.J. (1999). Spatial disorientation - general aspects. In J. Emsting, A. Nicholson and D.J. Rainford (eds). Aviation Medicine. Oxford Butterworth Heinemann. 

Joseph, M.K. and Jahns, D.W. (2000). Enhancing GPS receiver certification by examining relevant pilot-performance databases (Rep. No. DOT/FAA/AM-00/4). Washington, DC Office of Aviation Medicine. 

This work has been done in collaboration with W. O. Fenn, S. W. Nye, D. L. Gilbert, and P. Dwyer, and has been supported largely by funds provided under contract with the U.S.A.F. School of Aviation Medicine, Randolph Field, Texas. 

Shappell, S.A. Wiegmann, DA. 2000. The Human Factor Analysis and Classification System—HFACS. DOT/FAAM/AM-00/7. Office of Aviation Medicine, U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration. Washington, DC 200591. 

Fix E, Hodges JL. Discriminatory analysis. USAF School of Aviation Medicine. Randolph Field, TX, project 21-49-004, contract AF41 (148)-31, Rep. 4, February 1951, and Rep. 11, August 1952. 

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