Pilots' Hearts Flutter in Flight

October 25, 2011

FEATURED SEARCH: sinus bradycardia

Cardiovascular diseases can lead to sudden in-flight incapacitation and long-term disability in aircraft pilots. This Japanese study of 176 pilots found 34 new electrocardiogram (ECG) changes in pilots in their 50s that weren’t evident at age 40. The authors recommend sending hypertensive pilots who have ECG changes for an echocardiogram.

RESULT: Decadal electrocardiographic changes between age 40 and 50 in military pilots
Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine (PubMed) | Sep 1, 2011 (Free abstract. Full text $20)

Since accelerations during flight can provoke cardiac arrhythmias, this study examined heart rhythm changes of 40 healthy pilots during two training flights. Some 25% of the pilots had premature ventricular contractions in flight and 7.5% had sinus bradycardia, but there were no clinically significant arrhythmias.

RESULT: Cardiac arrhythmias during aerobatic flight and its simulation on a centrifuge
Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine (PubMed) | Jun 1, 2011 (Free abstract. Full text $20)

TopicIndex

Anxiety Disorders
Arrhythmia
Asthma
Atrial Fibrillation
Benign Prostatic
   Hyperplasia
Breast Cancer
Cardiac Failure
Chronic Kidney
   Disease
COPD
Colorectal Cancer
Depression
Diabetes
Emerging Infectious
   Diseases
End-Stage Renal
Disease
Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia
Gout
HIV/AIDS
Hypertension

HPV
Hysterectomy
Influenza
Lung Cancer
Lymphoma
Major Depressive Disorder
Migraine
MRSA
Multiple Sclerosis
Myocardial Infarction
Obesity
Osteoarthritis
Otitis Media
Parkinson's Disease
Pneumonia
Prostate Cancer
Reflux Diseases
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Schizophrenia
Sleep Apnea
Sleep Disorders
Skin Cancer
Ulcerative Colitis

FromPhysiciansPractice

Physician Performance Goals Are Great, But Balance Is More Realistic
Jennifer Frank, MD, May 15, 2012
Performance measurements for physicians are well-intentioned and get me to rethink how I practice. But in the end I won't make the goals, so I'll have to go with balance over perfection.

Designing the Perfect Business Card for Your Medical Practice
C. Noel Henley, MD, May 11, 2012
Does your business card say anything substantive about the valuable work you do in your practice? Here’s how to re-design your next business card for maximum impact and engagement.

Registered Nurses an Ideal Fit for Primary Care Practices
Audrey "Christie" McLaughlin, RN, May 10, 2012
Here are four good reasons to hire a registered nurse for your primary care practice …maybe even instead of a medical assistant.

The Five Biggest Medical Practice Marketing Mistakes
James Doulgeris, May 10, 2012
There are best practices to marketing your practice, but often, success is more about knowing what not to do. Here are the five most common pitfalls …and how to avoid them.

Can You Practice Medicine and Manage Your Practice?
Rosemarie Nelson, May 9, 2012
Whether you practice alone, or in a group, if you're trying to see patients in this pay-for-volume environment and also run the business of your practice, you may be missing out on important opportunities.