Objective: To study the stressors and mental status of civil aviation pilots under the background of major infectious disease. Methods: From January to March 2021, a cluster sampling method was used to select 143 airline pilots in service as the research objects. The self-made emotion and stress source questionnaire, Chinese version of stress perception scale (CPSS) , self rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and self rating Depression Scale (SDS) were used to investigate the airline pilot population. 136 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective recovery rate of 95.1%. The measurement data conform to the normal distribution and are expressed by (x±s) . T-test and analysis of variance are used for comparison between groups, and Pearson correlation is used for correlation analysis. The data that do not conform to the normal distribution are expressed by the median and quartile [M (Q(1), Q(3)) ], and the non parametric test is used for the comparison between groups. Multiple linear stepwise regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of pressure perception. In addition, Amos 23.0 software was used to construct structural equation models of stress perception and negative emotions. Results: Under the background of the epidemic, the main sources of stress for civil aviation pilots are: the risk of possible reduction in income, the risk of contracting COVID-19, the pressure at work, and the risk of possible slow progress of upgrading. Among them, the first co pilot was more worried about the possible reduction of income than the instructor (P=0.009) ; The first co pilot and the captain of the airline were more worried about the possible slowdown of the upgrade progress than the instructor (P<0.001, P=0.014) . The mean pressure perception of pilots was higher than that of Chinese norm (t=3.11, P=0.002) . The standard scores of anxiety and depression were slightly higher than the standard scores of the Chinese norm under the non epidemic situation (t=7.00, 4.07, all P<0.001) . The results of multiple linear stepwise regression analysis showed that stress perception was negatively correlated with good family relations (t=-8.50, P=0.000) , and positively correlated with worries about slow progress of upgrading, COVID-19 infection, lack of interpersonal communication and income reduction (t=3.31、3.86、2.88、2.06, P<0.05) . Pressure perception was positively correlated with negative emotion (all P<0.001) . The results of structural equation model show that stress perception affects pilots' negative emotions directly or indirectly, and its standardized total effects on anxiety, depression, hypochondriac, fear, compulsion and irritability are 0.719, 0.811, 0.403, 0.355, 0.295 and 0.244 respectively. Conclusion: Public health emergencies have an impact on the mental status of pilots. Should pay attention to the stressors and psychological conditions of pilots in time, and consider formulating measures to relieve the stress of pilots.
Anxiety/epidemiology* ; Aviation ; COVID-19 ; Communicable Diseases ; Humans ; Pilots/psychology*

Aerospace Medicine ; Aviation ; China ; Dermatitis ; Humans ; Medicine

Aviation ; Humans ; Physical Fitness ; Resistance Training ; Schools ; Students

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Electroencephalography (EEG) is often used as a screening tool for selecting pilots despite controversy regarding its contribution to aviation safety. We investigated EEG abnormalities in Korean commercial pilot applicants in order to identify the usefulness of EEG screening in this population. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the EEG results of 740 unselected pilot applicants who underwent waking EEG at Inha University Hospital from January 2013 to May 2017. EEG recording was performed for 30 minutes, which included 3 minutes of hyperventilation and intermittent photic stimulation. RESULTS: The pilot applicants were predominantly male (95.3%) and had a mean age of 27.8 years (range: 16–40 years). Nine of them (1.2%) exhibited EEG abnormalities; the most common abnormality (six applicants) was a small amount of generalized irregular slow activities, while the other three applicants (0.4%) exhibited epileptiform discharges, with two showing generalized spike-and-wave complexes and one showing a few spike-and-wave complexes in the left frontotemporal area. The two applicants with generalized spike-and-wave complexes were found to have experienced clinical seizures by a neurologist during detailed history-taking. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that 2 of 740 pilot applicants (0.3%) were diagnosed with epilepsy by routine EEG screening in an unselected population. Considering the low predictive value of EEG without the relevant clinical history in an unselected healthy young population, our findings raise questions regarding the cost-effectiveness of the current EEG screening protocol applied to pilot applicants. We suggest that a more-targeted and standardized EEG screening approach be applied to pilot applicants with epilepsy risk factors or a seizure history as determined by thorough medical history-taking.
Aviation ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Humans ; Hyperventilation ; Korea* ; Male ; Mass Screening* ; Photic Stimulation ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Seizures

PURPOSE: Leakage of pancreatico-jejunal anastomosis (PJ) remains the primary cause of morbidity and mortality after Whipple's operation. To reduce the occurrence thereof, the present author recently began to apply a modification of the Blumgart method of anastomosis after Whipple's operation (hereinafter referred to as Lee's method), with very good results. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The modified method and technique utilizes fish-mouth closure of a beveled pancreatic stump and parachuting of the pancreatic end with double U trans-pancreatic sutures (symmetric horizontal mattress-type sutures between the full thickness of the pancreas and the jejunal limb) after duct-to-mucosa pancreatico-jejunostomy. RESULTS: Eleven cases of pylorus preserving Whipple's operation have been performed without a clinically significant postoperative pancreatic fistula. CONCLUSION: This new method (Lee's method) may dramatically reduce the occurrence of postoperative pancreatic fistula after Whipple's operation.
Aviation* ; Methods ; Mortality ; Pancreas ; Pancreatic Fistula ; Pylorus ; Sutures*

Aerospace Medicine ; Aviation ; Emergencies ; Ethicists ; Humans

BACKGROUND: Joint replacement surgery is having an increasing demand as national healthcare systems confront an ever ageing population. Surgical complications associated with lower limb arthroplasty are well known but less investigation has been performed examining its effect on air travel, more specifically, unwanted and significant inconvenience caused to travelers going through airport security. METHODS: In lower limb arthroplasty clinics, 50 patients who met our selection criteria were given questionnaires. Ten airport security officers from 4 international airports (London Stansted, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, and Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport) were also given a separate questionnaire. The opinion of the Civil Aviation Authority was also sought. RESULTS: All 50 patients (mean age, 70.4 years; range, 55 to 84 years) who were presenting in lower limb arthroplasty clinics and who met our selection criteria volunteered to enter the study. Twenty-eight of these patients were female (mean age, 69.1 years; range, 55 to 84 years) and 22 were male (mean age, 71.2 years; range, 58 to 81 years). Of the patients, 14% stated that their joint replacements did not set off the airport security alarm. Responses were received from 10 airport security officers as well. Six airport security officers were male and 4 were female. All of the airport officers were aware of some form of implant identification card with 90% stating that these were useful to them at airport security. Eight-four percent of the patients stated that an implant identification card outlining what joint replacement they possessed and when this had been done would be very useful. Sixteen percent of the patients did not think a card would be beneficial since all of them had set off the airport alarm system only once or less in their lifetime. CONCLUSIONS: It is the opinion of airport security officers and patients that joint replacement implant identification cards streamline airport security checks and decrease the need for more invasive searches at airport security.
Airports* ; Arthroplasty ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee ; Aviation ; Delivery of Health Care ; Female ; Humans ; Joints ; Lower Extremity ; Male ; Patient Selection ; Security Measures

Patient safety has become an important policy agenda in healthcare systems since publication of the 1999 report entitled "To Err Is Human." The paradigm has changed from blaming the individual for the error to identifying the weakness in the system that led to the adverse events. Anesthesia is one of the first healthcare specialties to adopt techniques and lessons from the aviation industry. The widespread use of simulation programs and the application of human factors engineering to clinical practice are the influences of the aviation industry. Despite holding relatively advanced medical technology and comparable safety records, the Korean health industry has little understanding of the systems approach to patient safety. Because implementation of the existing system and program requires time, dedication, and financial support, the Korean healthcare industry is in urgent need of developing patient safety policies and putting them into practice to improve patient safety before it is too late.
Anesthesia ; Anesthesiology ; Aviation ; Delivery of Health Care ; Financial Support ; Health Care Sector ; Human Engineering ; Humans ; Medical Errors ; Patient Safety* ; Publications ; Systems Analysis

BACKGROUND: We assessed the frequency and types of ankle fractures that frequently occur during parachute landings of special operation unit personnel and analyzed the causes. METHODS: Fifty-six members of the special force brigade of the military who had sustained ankle fractures during parachute landings between January 2005 and April 2010 were retrospectively analyzed. The injury sites and fracture sites were identified and the fracture types were categorized by the Lauge-Hansen and Weber classifications. Follow-up surveys were performed with respect to the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score, patient satisfaction, and return to preinjury activity. RESULTS: The patients were all males with a mean age of 23.6 years. There were 28 right and 28 left ankle fractures. Twenty-two patients had simple fractures and 34 patients had comminuted fractures. The average number of injury and fractures sites per person was 2.07 (116 injuries including a syndesmosis injury and a deltoid injury) and 1.75 (98 fracture sites), respectively. Twenty-three cases (41.07%) were accompanied by posterior malleolar fractures. Fifty-five patients underwent surgery; of these, 30 had plate internal fixations. Weber type A, B, and C fractures were found in 4, 38, and 14 cases, respectively. Based on the Lauge-Hansen classification, supination-external rotation injuries were found in 20 cases, supination-adduction injuries in 22 cases, pronation-external rotation injuries in 11 cases, tibiofibular fractures in 2 cases, and simple medial malleolar fractures in 2 cases. The mean follow-up period was 23.8 months, and the average follow-up American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score was 85.42. Forty-five patients (80.36%) reported excellent or good satisfaction with the outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Posterior malleolar fractures occurred in 41.07% of ankle fractures sustained in parachute landings. Because most of the ankle fractures in parachute injuries were compound fractures, most cases had to undergo surgical repairs.
Adult ; Ankle Fractures/classification/etiology/radiography/*surgery ; Ankle Injuries/etiology/radiography/*therapy ; Ankle Joint/radiography/*surgery ; Aviation ; Bone Plates ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Fractures, Comminuted/etiology/radiography/surgery ; Fractures, Open/etiology/radiography/surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Military Personnel ; Retrospective Studies ; Young Adult

While injuries to the spine after an airplane crash are not rare, most crashes result in fatal injuries. As such, few studies exist that reported on spine fractures sustained during airplane accidents. In this report, we demonstrate three cases of spine fractures due to crash landing of a commercial airplane. Three passengers perished from injuries after the crash landing, yet most of the passengers and crew on board survived, with injuries ranging from minor to severe. Through evaluating our three spine fracture patients, it was determined that compression fracture of the spine was the primary injury related to the airplane accident. The first patient was a 20-year-old female who sustained a T6-8 compression fracture without neurologic deterioration. The second patient was a 33-year-old female with an L2 compression fracture, and the last patient was a 49-year-old male patient with a T8 compression fracture. All three patients were managed conservatively and required spinal orthotics. During the crash, each of these patients were subjected to direct, downward high gravity z-axis (Gz) force, which gave rise to load on the spine vertically, thereby causing compression fracture. Therefore, new safety methods should be developed to prevent excessive Gz force during airplane crash landings.
Accidents, Aviation ; Adult ; Aircraft* ; Back Pain ; Female ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Hypergravity ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Spinal Fractures ; Spine* ; Young Adult