| Medical qualification of a commercial spaceflight participant: not your average astronaut. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 16708526 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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BACKGROUND: Candidates for commercial spaceflight may be older than the typical astronaut and more likely to have medical problems that place them at risk during flight. Since the effects of microgravity on many medical conditions are unknown, physicians have little guidance when evaluating and certifying commercial spaceflight participants. This dynamic new era in space exploration may provide important data for evaluating medical conditions, creating appropriate medical standards, and optimizing treatment alternatives for long-duration spaceflight. CASE: A 57-yr-old spaceflight participant for an ISS mission presented with medical conditions that included moderately severe bullous emphysema, previous spontaneous pneumothorax with talc pleurodesis, a lung parenchymal mass, and ventricular and atrial ectopy. The medical evaluation required for certification was extensive and included medical studies and monitoring conducted in analogue spaceflight environments including altitude chambers, high altitude mixed-gas simulation, zero-G aircraft, and high-G centrifuge. To prevent recurrence of pneumothorax, we performed video-assisted thoracoscopic pleurodesis, and to assess lung masses, several percutaneous or direct biopsies. The candidate's 10-d mission was without incident. CONCLUSION: Non-career astronauts applying for commercial suborbital and orbital spaceflight will, at least in the near future, challenge aerospace physicians with unknowns regarding safety during training and flight, and highlight important ethical and risk-assessment problems. The information obtained from this new group of space travelers will provide important data for the evaluation and in-flight treatment of medical problems that space programs have not yet addressed systematically, and may improve the medical preparedness of exploration-class missions. |
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Authors:
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Richard T Jennings; David M F Murphy; David L Ware; Serena M Aunon; Richard E Moon; Valery V Bogomolov; Valeri V Morgun; Yuri I Voronkov; Caroline E Fife; Michael C Boyars; Randy D Ernst |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Aviation, space, and environmental medicine Volume: 77 ISSN: 0095-6562 ISO Abbreviation: Aviat Space Environ Med Publication Date: 2006 May |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2006-05-19 Completed Date: 2006-10-20 Revised Date: 2008-11-21 |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 7501714 Medline TA: Aviat Space Environ Med Country: United States |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 475-84 Citation Subset: IM; S |
Affiliation:
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Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555-1150, USA. rjenning@utmb.edu |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Aerospace Medicine
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standards* Cysts / diagnosis Exercise Test Humans Kidney Diseases / diagnosis Lung Diseases, Interstitial / diagnosis Male Middle Aged Monitoring, Ambulatory Physical Examination* Pleurodesis Pneumothorax / diagnosis, therapy Pulmonary Atelectasis / diagnosis Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / diagnosis Pulmonary Emphysema / diagnosis Respiratory Function Tests Space Flight / standards* Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted Ventricular Premature Complexes / diagnosis |
| Comments/Corrections | |
Comment In:
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Aviat Space Environ Med. 2006 May;77(5):485
[PMID:
16708527
]
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From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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