Aeromedical

Question 1

What is the mean temperature lapse rate?

Answer 1

2 degrees C per 1000 ft

Question 2

What is the atmosphere primarily made up of?

Answer 2

Nitrogen

Question 3

Define “hypoxia”.

Answer 3

It is the body’s lack of oxygen.

Question 4

What are the four types of hypoxia?

Answer 4

Histotoxic
Hypemic
Hypoxic
Stagnant

Question 5

Describe histotoxic hypoxia.

Answer 5

It is the inability for the tissue to use oxygen in the blood. It is brought on by alcohol and certain poisons.

Question 6

Describe hypemic hypoxia.

Answer 6

The inability of blood to hold on to oxygen. It is brought on by smoking, carbon monoxide, nitrates, and sulfa drugs.

Question 7

Describe hypoxic hypoxia.

Answer 7

It is the lack of oxygen in the air due to a lack of atmospheric pressure. It prevents the diffusion of oxygen from the lungs to the bloodstream.

Question 8

Describe stagnant hypoxia.

Answer 8

Inadequate circulation of blood due to disrupted blood flow which can be due to gravitational forces.

Question 9

What are the stages of hypoxic hypoxia?

Answer 9

Indifferent
Compensatory
Disturbance
Critical

Question 10

Describe the indifferent stage of hypoxic hypoxia.

Answer 10

O2 levels are 98-90%.
Altitudes are 0-10,000 feet.

Side effects: Decreased night vision.

Question 11

Describe the compensatory stage of hypoxic hypoxia.

Answer 11

O2 levels are 89-80%.
Altitudes are 10,000 to 15,000 feet.

Side effects: drowsiness, poor judgement, impaired coordination and efficiency.

Question 12

Describe the disturbance stage of hypoxic hypoxia.

Answer 12

O2 levels are 79-70%.
Altitudes are 15,000 to 20,000 feet.

Side effects: Impaired flight control, handwriting, speech, vision, intellectual function, and judgement; decreased coordination, memory, and sensation to pain.

Question 13

Describe the critical stage of hypoxic hypoxia.

Answer 13

O2 levels 69-60%.
Altitudes are 20,000 to 25,000 feet.

Side effects are circulatory and central nervous system failure; convulsions; cardiovascular collapse; death.

Question 14

Define stress.

Answer 14

It is the body’s nonspecific response to a demand.

Question 15

What are the four types of stressors?

Answer 15

Psychosocial, environmental, physiological (self-imposed), and cognitive.

Question 16

What are psychosocial stressors?

Answer 16

They stem from life events, such as job stress, illness, and family issues.

Question 17

What are environmental stressors?

Answer 17

Altitude, speed, hot/cold environment, aircraft design, airframe characteristics, instrument flight conditions.

Question 18

What are the psyiological (self-imposed) stressors?

Answer 18

Drugs
Exhaustion 
Alcohol
Tobacco 
Hypoglycemia

Question 19

What are the considerations for drugs?

Answer 19

Self medication
Overdosing
Allergic reactions
Possible side-effects

Synergistic
Caffeine

Question 20

What is fatigue?

Answer 20

The state of feeling tired, weary, or sleepy that results from prolonged mental or physical wrk, extended periods of anxiety, exposure to harsh environments, or loss of sleep. It can also be brought on by boring or monotonous tasks.

Question 21

What are the three categories of fatigue?

Answer 21

Acute, chronic, and motivational burnout/exhaustion.

Question 22

What is acute fatigue?

Answer 22

It is physical or mental activity between to regular sleep periods, for example, being up for more than 12 to 15 hours.

It is normally remedied after one regular sleep period.

Question 23

What is chronic fatigue?

Answer 23

More serious than acute fatigue, it occurs over a longer period, and is typically the result of inadequate recovery from successive periods of acute fatigue.

It can take up to several weeks to correct for chronic fatigue.

Question 24

What are the symptoms of chronic fatigue?

Answer 24

Poor judgement
Insomnia
Irritability
Loss of appetite
Slowed reaction time

Depressed mood
Poor motivation/performance
Weight loss

Question 25

What is motivational exhaustion?

Answer 25

Chronic fatigue remains untreated for too long. Normally cease functioning occupationally and socially.

Question 26

What is the day blind spot?

Answer 26

5.5 degrees to 7.5 degrees. It originates where the optic nerve attaches to the retina. It causes difficulty when individuals do not move their head or eyes but continue to look straight forward while an object is brought into the visual field.

Question 27

What are the three types of vision? Which is the most dangerous?

Answer 27

Photopic (day) Mesopic (dusk) (most dangerous) Scotopic (night) (visual acuity is 20/200)

Question 28

How long does it take for an individual to dark adapt?

Answer 28

30 to 45 minutes. It requires a build up of rhodopsin.

Question 29

Which types of vision use only cones? Which uses only rods? Which uses both?

Answer 29

Photopic, Scotopic, Mesopic

Question 30

What is the night blind spot?

Answer 30

It is 5 to 10 degrees wide. If an object is detected, it will fade away when stared at for longer than 2 seconds.

Question 31

Do brief flashes have any impact on night vision? At what point does it become detrimental?

Answer 31

No. When exposed for 1 second or longer.

Question 32

How long can it take for someone to re-dark adapt?

Answer 32

several to 45 minutes or longer

Question 33

How can one ease the process of dark-adapting before the sun goes down?

Answer 33

Sunglasses, red-lens glasses, and supplemental oxygen equipment.

Question 34

What measures can the crew take in the aircraft to ensure night vision is maintained?

Answer 34

Cockpit lighting to the lowest readable setting Exterior light adjustment (dimmed or turned off) Light flash compensation from ordinance

Question 35

What are some night vision techniques?

Answer 35

Off-center viewing | Scanning

Question 36

What are the monocular cues?

Answer 36

Geometric prospective Retinal image size Aerial perspective Motion parallax

Question 37

What makes up geometric perspective?

Answer 37

Linear perspective Apparent foreshortening Vertical position in the field

Question 38

What makes up retinal image size?

Answer 38

Known size of objects Increasing/decreasing size Terrestrial association Overlapping contours

Question 39

What makes up aerial perspective?

Answer 39

Fading of colors or shades Loss of texture/detail Position of light source

Question 40

What is the motion parallax?

Answer 40

It is where objects further away seemingly take longer to move than objects that are closer to you.

Question 41

What effect does tobacco have on night vision?

Answer 41

The individual looses about 20% of their night vision capability.

Question 42

Define spatial disorientation.

Answer 42

It is the inability of the person to determine position, attitude, and motion relative to the Earth's surface.

Question 43

What are the three types of spatial disorientation? Which is the most dangerous?

Answer 43

``` Type I (unrecognized) (most dangerous) Type II (recognized) Type III (incapacitating) ```

Question 44

Describe unrecognized spatial disorientation.

Answer 44

The person does not perceive any indication of SD or think anything is wrong.

Question 45

What are the recognized types of spatial disorientation?

Answer 45

The pilot perceives a problem resulting from SD but might not recognize it as SD. An example is the graveyard spiral.

Question 46

What is the incapacitating type of spatial disorientation?

Answer 46

Crewmember can not orientate using visual cues or the aircraft instruments.

Question 47

The vestibular illusions can be broken down into what two subcategories?

Answer 47

Somatogyral and somatogravic

Question 48

What are the somatogyral illusions?

Answer 48

Angular acceleration and deceleration The leans (pilot fails to perceive angular motion) Graveyard spiral (Pilot enters a spin and remains in it for several seconds. It will reach equilibrium and no motion will be perceived). Criolis illusion (most dangerous, results in head-over-heels sensation)

Question 49

What are the somatogravic illusions?

Answer 49

Oculgravic illusions (sense a nose-high or nose-low illusion and try to correct for it) Oculoagravic (downward movement of an aircraft. Intuitive reaction is to add aft cyclic, which decreases airspeed below desired levels) Elevator (upward acceleration, pilots eyes track down, sense nose high attitude)

Question 50

How do you prevent spatial disorientation?

Answer 50

Never fly without visual references Never fly VMC/IMC at the same time Avoid fatigue, smoking, hypoglycemia, and anxiety Trust your instruments

Question 51

How do you treat spatial disorientation?

Answer 51

Delay intuitive reaction Refer to the instruments Transfer the controls

Question 52

What are the visual illusions?

Answer 52

``` False horizons Fixation/fascination Flicker vertigo Confusion w ground lights Relative motion Altered perspective Size-height Height-depth Crater illusion Autokinesis Reversed perspective Structural illusions ```

Question 53

The visual system provides about __% of orientation in humans.

Answer 53

80

Question 54

What are the two components of the vestibular system? What is the purpose of the vestibular system?

Answer 54

The vestibular system detects motion and gravity. It is made up of the semi-circular canals and otolith organs.

Question 55

What do the otolith organs provide us?

Answer 55

Response to gravity and linear acceleration/deceleration.

Question 56

What do the semi-circular organs provide us?

Answer 56

They sense angular acceleration and react to changes in roll. pitch, or yaw attitude.

Question 57

What is the temporary flight restriction for local anestesia? For general/spinal/epidoural?

Answer 57

12 hours | 48 hours

Question 58

What is the temporary flight restriction for alcohol?

Answer 58

12 hours after the last drink and until no residual effects remain

Question 59

What is the temporary flight restriction for immunizations?

Answer 59

12 hours

Question 60

What is the temporary flight restriction for blood/plasma donations? How frequently can you donate?

Answer 60

Blood: 200cc or more is 72 hours Plasma: 24 hours Twice a year

Question 61

Flight crews will not preform high altitude flight duties for __ hours after exposure to hypobaric chamber runs in excess of 25,000 feet.

Answer 61

24

Question 62

Aircrews exhibiting symptoms of simulator sickness will be restricted from actual flight for ___ hours following full resolution of symptoms.

Answer 62

12

Question 63

Aircrews are restricted from flying duties for a minimum of __ hours after centrifuge runs.

Answer 63

6