Ailments Flashcards
What is the definition of ailments?
Ailments is an illness, typically a minor one.
What is the most common condition resulting in incapacitation of pilots?
Gastro intestinal illness (food poisoning)
How are some ‘not too nice’ micro-organisms are spread?
Airborne Ingestion Direct Invasion Wound Contamination Inoculation
How are airborne micro-organisms spread?
Sneezing and coughing. These micro-organisms are present in mouth, nose and back of throat.
How are micro-organisms via ingestion spread?
Food we eat can get contaminated via the micro-organisms finding their way onto the food we eat via airborne, contact with materials (plates, bowls) and/or human contact.
What does URTI mean?
Upper respiratory tract infection
Pilots flying with URI place themselves in danger of?
Barotrauma with possibility of suffering damage to the ears.
What are symptoms of URTI?
Congestion, runny nose, sore throat.
URIs can cause blockage of what? Which means?
Blockage of the eustachian tubes therefore the air in the ear can’t equalize pressure making barotrauma extremely likely.
What is Eustachian tube?
Eustachian tube connects the middle ear and pharynx (part of throat).
What causes barotrauma?
Air trapped in an area of the body and cannot get out.
How does barotrauma affect a pilot in the air?
An altitude increase will cause the volume of air in the body to expand as pressure decreases with altitude. (High pressure wanting to go to low pressure).
Food poisoning is also known as?
Gastroenteritis.
Symptoms of gastroenteritis?
Nausea or vomiting,
Stomach pain
Diarrhoea
Precautions to prevent gastroenteritis affecting flight operations are?
12 hours before flight, and during flight, the crew should eat different food.
Antihistamines are?
Drugs which treat symptoms of allergies.