Flight Physiology Flashcards

1
Q

Decompression Sickness

“The Bends”

Type 1

What Law ?

What Symptoms ?

A

What Law ?

  • Henry’s Law

Symptoms ?

  • Painful joints
  • mottled skin
  • pruritic (itching)

Pt may feel like ants are crawling on their skin.

Mottled skin can often look like a sunburn.

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2
Q

Decompression Sickness

“The bends”

Type 2

What Law ?

What Symptoms ?

A

What Law ?

  • Henry’s Law

What Symptoms ?

  • Neuologica Signs & symptoms
  • Hypovolemic Shock
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3
Q

Arterial Gas Embolism

(AGE)

What Law ?

What Causes it ?

What Symptoms ?

What Treatment?

A

What Law ?

  • Related to Boyle’s Law

What Causes it?

  • Holding breath during ascent on a dive (causing a pneumothorax)
  • Air being forced into blood vessels (causing Ischemia)

What Symptoms ?

  • Stoke-like symptoms
  • Altered mental status
  • Syncope
  • Dizziness
  • Caugh
  • Epistaxis

What treatment ?

  • Immediate Hyperbaric treatment!

Transport by goound if possile. Air trasnport in pressurized aircraft or <1000 MSL.

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4
Q

Pulmonary Overpressurization

What Law ?

What Cause it ?

Effect ?

A

What Law ?

  • Boyle’s Law

What Cause it ?

  • Holding compressed air in your lungs during ascent.

Effect ?

  • Lung overexpansion
  • Ruptures the alveoli
  • Pneumothorax
  • Mediastinal emphysema

Common in inexperienced divers.

*

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5
Q

Atmosphere Calculations

Under water

A
  • Every 33 feet below water = 1 ATM (atmosphere)
  • Sea Level = 1 ATM
  • 33 ft. under water = 2 ATM
  • 66 ft. under water = 3 ATM
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6
Q

Atmospere Zones

A
  • Physiologic Zone
  • Physiologically Deficient Zone
  • Space Equivalent Zone
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7
Q

Atmosphere Zones

Physiologic Zone

A
  • Seal Level - 10,000ft MSL

Night Vision is decreased beginning at 5,000ft MSL

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8
Q

Atmosphere Zones

Phyiologically Deficient Zone

A
  • 10,000 - 50,000ft MSL
  • Oxygen required to survive at these altitudes
  • Sign of compression loss is cooler temperatures in the cabin and windows fogging.
  • If a rapid decompression occurs, TUC is cut in half.
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9
Q

Atmosphere Zones

Space EquivalentZone

A
  • >50,000ft MSL
  • Congratulations on becoming an astronaut!
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10
Q

Oxygen Adjustmen Calculation

A

(FiO2xP1) / P2 = FiO2 required for ascent

FiO2 = Fraction of inspired oxygen

P1 = the pressure you ae at (on the ground)

P2 = the pressure you are flying to (cruiding altitude)

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11
Q

Pressure (P) Values

A
  • Sea Level = 760 torr or mmHg (1 ATM)
  • 10k ft. MSL = 523 torr or mmHg
  • 18k ft. MSL = 380 torr or mmHg (1/2 ATM)
  • 63k ft. MSL = 0 torr or mmHg ( 0 ATM)
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12
Q

Types of Hypoxia

A
  • Hypemic
  • Hypoxic
  • Stagnant
  • Histotoxic
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13
Q

Types of Hypoxia

Hypemic

A

What is it?

  • Redction in th O2 carrying capacity of blood

What causes it ?

  • Anemia
  • Hemorrhae
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14
Q

Types of Hypoxia

Histotoxic

A

What is it ?

  • limits the use of available ocgen due to poisoning of the cytochrome oxidase system

What causes it ?

  • Cyanide
  • Alcohol
  • Carbon Monoxide (CO)Nitroglycerin
  • Sodium Nitroprusside (Nipride)
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15
Q

Types of Hypoxia

Hypoxic

A

What is it ?

  • Not enough Oxygen in the air

What causes it ?

  • Low PP of oxygen at altitude
  • Deficiency in alveola O2 exchange
  • Pneumothorax
  • cardiovascular PT
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16
Q

types of Hypoxia

Stagnant

A

What is it ?

  • Blood isnt moving

What causes it ?

  • Reduced cardiac output
  • Pooling of blood
  • High G forces
  • Cardiogenic shock
17
Q

Stages of Hypoxia

A
  • Indifferent
  • Compensatory
  • Disturbance
  • Critical
18
Q

Stages of Hypoxia

Indifferent Stage

A

0 - 10,000ft. MSL

Symptoms

  • some loss of night vission at 5,000ft MSL
  • Full reasonin abilities
19
Q

Stages of Hypoxia

Compensatory Stage

A

10,000 - 15,000ft. MSL

Symptoms

  • Increased HR
  • Increased Ventilations
  • Slowed judgment
20
Q

Stages of Hypoxia

Disturbance Stage

A

15,000 - 20,000ft. MSL

Symptoms

  • Slurred speech
  • Impaired judgment
  • Feeling of being drunk
21
Q

Stages of Hypoxia

Critical Stage

A

>20,000ft. MSL

Symptoms

  • Loss of consciousness
  • Death

No longer able to physiologically function, death imminent

22
Q

Stressors of Flight

Self Imposed

A

Self Imposed

(D.E.A.T.H)

  • Dehydration
  • Echaustion
  • Alcohol
  • Tobacco
  • Hypoglycemia
23
Q

Stressors of Flight

Inherent

A

Inherent

  • Thermal Changes
  • Decreased Humidity
  • Gravitational Forces
  • Fatigue
  • Low PP of Oxygen
  • Barometric Pressure change
  • Noise
  • Vibration
24
Q

Altitude Effects

Barondontalgia

A

(Teeth)

  • Occurs on ascent
  • Air trapped in fillings expands due to Boyles Law
  • Aso referred to as “Aerodontaligia”
25
Q

Altitude Effects

Barotitis

A

(Ears)

  • Occurs on Descent
  • Air trapped in the middle ear can’t vent through the clocked Eustacian Tube.
26
Q

Altitude Effects

Barosinusitis

A

(Sinuses)

  • Can occur on BOTH Ascent and Descent
  • Can also cause pain in the macillar teeth
  • Is not the same as Barodontalgia; that occurs only on Ascent