ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study is aimed to analyze the results of aeromedical consultation of ROKAF for recent 10 years. METHODS: We reviewed the records of all ROKAF rated personnel who developed a medical problem requiring aeromedical consultation during the period from 1991 to 2000. RESULTS: We collected 263 cases. The most frequent clinical categories were ENT and musculoskeletal problems. In the group of fighter pilots, 30 cases were classified into permanent grounding. Chronic hepatitis and Herniated disc were the main causes. In the group of undergraduate pilots, aerotitis media by high altitude flight and airsickness by high performance flight, were the main causes. CONCLUSION: According to this study, we need to reinforce the supervision about the revealed major causes.
Subject(s)
Altitude , Hepatitis, Chronic , Intervertebral Disc Displacement , Motion Sickness , Organization and AdministrationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the work-relation of the asthma of a 51-year old aircraft maintenance worker and his working environment METHODS: For 2 weeks, the patient went back into his workplace. The pulmonary function test including FEV1 was performed every other day morning in the hospital and peak expiratory flow rate(PEFR) self-monitoring was done 6 times a day. RESULTS: The patient has been worked as aircraft maintenance worker in line maintenance department since 1968. The pulmonary function test(PFT) with bronchodilator confirmed the asthma of the patient. He showed positive response to 2-weeks workplace challenge test. On 3rd day after stopping challenge exposure, FEV 1.0 was 1.04 L(55 % of baseline measurement). The result of PEFR self-monitoring showed progressively deteriorating pattern, baseline PEFR was 6.02 L/min but PEFR on 3rd day after stopping exposure was 2.43 L/min. CONCLUSIONS: The present case could be occupational asthma based on positive results of PEFR monitoring. Further research will be needed to find the specific agent to cause asthma in aircraft maintenance workers exposed to aviation fuel and jet stream exhausts.
Subject(s)
Humans , Middle Aged , Aircraft , Asthma , Asthma, Occupational , Aviation , Formaldehyde , Kerosene , Peak Expiratory Flow Rate , Respiratory Function Tests , RiversABSTRACT
The survey of occupational injury has not been performed in Korean Air Force. The aim of this survey is to identify the feature of the occupational injury at the Korean Air force base. The occupational injury were monitored at the medical group in a Korean air base, from Aug 1998 to Jul 1999. Because the medical group has supported 2 different groups, we analysed and described some results seperately; group 1 consisted of workers in line maintenance operation, group 2 included workers in base maintenance operation. There were 59 injuries(injured persons) in group 1, and 9 injuries in group 2, so the incidence(per 1000) were 21.5, 4.46 respectively. 11 persons transferred to well-equiped hospital. Most of injured persons were air men, and then sergeant, civilian employee in order. The median age of injured persons was 22 years old in group 1 and 21 years old in group 2. The median work experience was 0.8 and 8 years respectively. The median delay time to arrive at the hospital from the time of injury were 30 min in group 1, 20 min in group 2, but maximum delay in group 1 was about 9 days. The occupational injuries were most common in October in the year, Tuesday in a week. Also the injury occurred common from 13 to 13:59, and from 11 to 11:59 in a day. The injury occurred most commonly by the collision with something, when working with more than 4 coworkers, and repairing the machinery. The most common injured part of the body were hands and feet, the patterns of injury were laceration and fracture.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Young Adult , Foot , Hand , Incidence , Lacerations , Occupational InjuriesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Fighter pilots are frequently exposed to high gravitational acceleration force acting along the body axis from the head to the feet (+GZ) and this gravitational force causes considerable strain on several organ systems, including cardiovascular system and kidneys. Proteinuria had been observed after +GZ stress but the characteristics of urinary protein and the mechanism of proteinuria are not closely investigated up to now. METHODS: A total of 44 student pilots were exposed to +6GZ for 30 seconds using Human Centrifuge and urine samples were collected before and after +GZ load. The amount of urinary protein was measured quantitatively and semiquantitatively with chemistry and dipstick, and the protein components were analysed with electrophoresis. RESULTS: After a total of 44 student pilots were exposed to +6GZ for 30 seconds without anti-G suit, 19 urine samples were positive in dipstick protein test and electrophoresis revealed that their major protein component was albumin. The amount of urinary protein excretion and urinary protein and creatinine ratios (UProt/UCr) were significantly increased to levels of 33.4+/-29.3 mg/dL and 0.239+/-0.203 in comparison with pre-G training levels of 8.8+/-4.3 mg/dL and 0.046+/-0.018, respectively. All 44 urine samples collected the next day of G training were negative in dipstick protein test and had protein levels of 6.8+/-3.0 mg/dL. Of 19 subjects showed proteinuria, 15 performed the same +GZ training again with anti-G suit and so only three urine samples were positive in dip stick protein test. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicates that transient proteinuria can be developed after high +GZ stress most possibly due to increased glomerular permeability of albumin and be effectively protected by the anti-G suit.