Category: Health

Hyperventilation – Confusing the Devil with Hypoxia

“An ab-initio military pilot on a familiarisation sortie to the sector with his Instructor, was finding it difficult to see the defined waypoints. This was due to thin clouds below, through which the Instructor could see and point out the features, but the rookie pilot, flying his first sortie in that sector, just could not …

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Aviation Medicine Quiz – Hyperventilation

Please answer to the best of your knowledge and understanding the following questions pertaining to Hyperventilation in aviation.

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Training the future Aerospace Physician

If one is asked to visualise the role of Aerospace Physician in emerging decades, especially in the Indian context, the need for redefining training is of foremost consequence to prepare the future practitioners who shall be armed with adequate knowledge, exploit the technology and actively apply the concept of holistic care.

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Stressed Out or Stretched beyond…?

‘Stress’ is the sum of all non-specific changes caused by a situational disturbance in the psycho-physiological milieu of an individual, pilots included! Pilots operate in a three-dimensional dynamic environment, often under the pressure of limited time. The aerospace operational environment is rich in potential stresses: physical, physiological and psychological. While the majority, with time, learn …

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Aerotoxic Syndrome – A cause for concern?

On a flight in 2010, the aircrew – two pilots and five flight attendants, smelt a kind of dirty socks odour while boarding their flight. Not knowing about the source or cause of this foul odour, they undertook the flight. But on landing the entire crew and few passengers needed emergency medical care. Both the …

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