July 2005 699 Medical News
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President’s Page The science and art of aerospace give us a buzz of excitement with whichever branch we are involved. That same excitement also applies to membership in the community of AsMA which encompasses so many disciplines and so many cultures. As usual in aerospace, change and evolution are occurring. We hope to see the Shuttle program restarting, with a launch date in July. We believe that space tourism is now more than a dream. The European Space Agency has formulated a “Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 science programme,” incorporating new planetary missions, space tele- Michael Bagshaw, M.B., B.Ch. scopes, and searches for conditions able to sup- port life on other worlds. On the other hand, a British space programme begun in 1957 has mix well in close quarters with manned strike air- drawn to a close with the launch of the last craft. This is something which AsMA’s human fac- Skylark rocket. The final 441st mission carried ex- tors specialists need to be thinking about. We periments including a biological investigation of should also be aware that the single largest driver the protein actin and a study of evaporating liq- for science and technology spending by the U.S. uids in low gravity. Army is making helicopters safer in combat situa- The Airbus A380 is well into its test pro- tions. Controlled flight into terrain still kills too gramme and the order book for Boeing’s 787 is many people. filling. There is significant aviation medical input Despite the advent of new aircraft and tech- to both these new aircraft. The A380 presents the nology, the airline industry is facing major chal- challenge of up to 800 people flying in one air- lenges. When costs are cut and economies are craft, while the design specification for the B787 sought, the airline medical department sits easily brings new environmental control system technol- in the firing line. AsMA is active in ensuring that ogy, including a maximum cabin altitude of 6,000 the risks so engendered are recognised – we need feet. to keep the position papers and resolutions com- The military is moving forward with the de- ing. velopment of unmanned aerial vehicles. There is Next month I will share my thoughts on how still much work to be done on the human factors, we are maintaining the momentum of the AsMA as well as the operational aspects. Operational ex- Strategic Plan, and how we must evolve to stay at perience so far shows that despite a naturally mu- the forefront of aerospace medicine. Meanwhile, I tual interest, unmanned air vehicles laden with ask each of you to recruit just one new active surveillance and reconnaissance sensors do not member into AsMA – YOU can make a difference. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine • Vol. 76, No. 7, Section I • July 2005 699 Medical News Constituent Organization vices he has developed over the past 19 range one to twenty-four years and second in years. He is a Fellow of the Aerospace the twenty-five to forty-four year group. In Presidents 2005-06: Medical Association and the recipient of the World War II the U.S. Armed Forces re Lloyd Tripp leads LSBEB Research and Development Innovation ported more deaths due to accidents than Award of the Life Sciences and Biomedical disease. In 1952 vehicular accidents caused Lloyd D. Tripp, M.A., is the new Engineering Branch. In addition, Lloyd D. 45 per cent of all non-battle casualties in the President of the Life Sciences and Biomedical Tripp received the 2002 Eric Liljencrantz Army. In the Navy and Marine Corps motor Engineering Branch of AsMA. Mr. Tripp is Award, given to honor excellence as an edu- vehicle accidents accounted for about 25 per an internationally cator in aerospace medicine, or basic re- cent of all hospital admissions for injuries. known and recognized search into the problems of acceleration, alti- About 88 per cent of those killed or injured authority on sustained tude, or weightlessness. were on leave or liberty. The Air Force re- acceleration physiology ported 338,025 man days lost in 1952 from and advanced G-pro- this cause. Private vehicle and off duty ac- tection systems. He is tivities were chiefly involved. Because of the currently an New Fellows Selected seriousness of this problem the Armed Engineering Research for 2005 Forces Epidemiological Board has appointed Psychologist with the a Commission on Accidental Trauma to Air Force Research The following Fellows were selected dur- study four major divisions: 1. Research on Laboratory and the ing the 76th AsMA Annual Scientific Host Factors in Accidental Trauma, includ- Human Information Meeting: ing human characteristics in relation to acci- Processing in Dynamic Environments pro- David M. Brown, M.D.; Miguel Cima, dents, the factor of age, characteristics of ac- gram manager investigating cognitive per- M.D.; Rhonda L. S. Cornum, M.D.; William cident repeaters, and the influence of formance during high G acceleration. D. Fraser, M.Sc.; Michael C. Jones, M.D.; temporary states and conditions; 2. Research Mr. Tripp received his Bachelor of Arts Benjamin Z. Kallner, M.D.; Wolfgang D. Relating to Host-Agent Relationship in degree in psychology from Capital Linnenbach, M.D.; James S. McGhee, M.D.; Accidental Trauma, including the role of University, Columbus, OH, in 1998. He re- Verba A. Moore, M.D.; David F. Neri, Ph.D.; faults in design and operation of equipment, ceived his Master of Arts degree in human James R. Phelan, M.D.; David M. C. Powell, advance analysis of equipment, and crash factors and experimental psychology in 2004 M.D.; Robert W. Rigg, M.D.; Dr.med. Kirk M. injury research; 3. Research in Host-Environ- and is currently working towards a Ph.D. in Rose; Farhad Sahiar, M.D., M.S.; and ment Relationships in Accidental Trauma, in- human factors psychology from the Nicholas L. Webster, M.D. cluding visibility at low levels of illumina- University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH. tion, temperature and humidity, and role of Mr. Tripp enlisted in the United States This Month in Aerospace the social environment; and 4. The Control Air Force in 1977 and completed training as of Accidents in the Armed Services" (6). an Aeromedical Technician at the USAF Medicine History-- Medical research cannot drag behind the School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks July 2005 rocket designers: "This is a senior medical stu- AFB, TX. His Air Force assignments in- dent's address which won second prize in cluded Norton AFB, CA, RAF Lakenheath, By Walter Dalitsch III, M.D., M.P.H. the Boylston Medical Society competition. It England, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH, and is a learned and succinct presentation. After Rickenbacker ANGB, OH. He also served in Seventy-Five Years Ago reviewing some basic problems in rocket the capacity of Superintendent of Base Aircraft mishaps due to pilot error: "Since the physics the author summarizes the physio- Medical Services at King Fahd Air Base, beginnings of Aviation there had been investi- logic problems accompanying linear acceler- Saudi Arabia, during Operation Desert Storm gation of aircraft accidents. Conclusions, how- ation; friction and heating effects; the gravity in 1991. ever, had lacked constructive value because free state; and the extra-terrestrial problems During his first assignment at the Air different organizations were using different of respiration, dysbarism, and radiation. The Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson classifications and definitions. In February, present rocket age is likened to the air age in AFB, he participated in a sustained accelera- 1928, the Assistant Secretary for Aeronautics 1912. A timely plea is made for medical re- tion program as a test subject on the in the Departments of War, Navy, and search to keep pace with 'the drawing boards Dynamic Environment Simulator. He cur- Commerce requested the National Advisory of the rocket designers'" (7). rently holds the record at that facility for Committee for Aeronautics to prepare an out- Mishap investigation results of the Comet: completing the most acceleration exposures line for use by the various governmental agen- "A very readable and accurate lay account of accomplished over 221 test days. As a cen- cies in the study of these accidents. A chart the detective work that led to the solution of trifuge test subject he gained valuable insight was prepared which now is used in each the problem of what caused the disintegra- into G research, phyiological monitoring analysis - an aircraft accident being defined as tion of the Comet. The studies revealed that equipment, and G protection. an occurrence which takes place while an air- the pressure cabin failed suddenly and com- His research interests have moved from craft is being operated as such and as a result pletely. In one-third of a second the passen- using ultrasound Doppler technology for of which a person or persons are injured or gers had been lifted from their seats, hurled measuring extracranial blood flow during ac- killed, or the aircraft receives appreciable or against the top of the cabin, and then pushed celeration as a means of predicting impend- marked damage through the forces of external 'helter-skelter' forward. The fall from the al- ing G-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) contact or through fire. The analyses show titude of 26,000 to 3,000 feet took three min- to infrared spectroscopy and pulse oximeter that about 60 percent of aircraft accidents are utes. The accident proved to be due to unex- technology to using two-dimensional due to the pilot, usually not because of physi- pected weakness about the windows during echocardiography to measure heart function cal defect, but of fault somewhere along his the plane's construction.