J Korean Med Assoc.  2012 Jul;55(7):649-656. 10.5124/jkma.2012.55.7.649.

Introduction to aerospace medicine

• Lim J

• KMID: 2192727
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5124/jkma.2012.55.7.649

Abstract

Recent reports show that over 2 billion people are travelling via air every year, and the number of countries involved in space exploration is growing. Aerospace medicine, one of the specialty areas in preventive medicine, focuses on the clinical care, research, and operational support of the health, safety, and performance of crewmembers and passengers of air and space vehicles. Flight surgeons are military medical officers who play an important role in these tasks. The civilian equivalent of the flight surgeon is the aviation medical examiner (AME). Among the challenges that we encounter at high altitudes are a change in pressure, noise, spa-tial disorientation, and acceleration. We should also overcome microgravity and radiation in space. The common in-flight medical emergencies are abdominal pain, diarrhea, chest pain, coll-apse, asthma, diabetes, and allergic reactions. There is only one aerospace medical institute, the Aerospace Medical Center, in the Republic of Korea. The Aerospace Medical Association of Korea, established in 1989, continues to grow. In the near future, aerospace medicine will be an important part of preventive medicine in the Republic of Korea.

Keyword

Aerospace medicine; Flight surgeon; Aviation medical examiner

MeSH Terms

Abdominal Pain
Acceleration
Aerospace Medicine
Altitude
Asthma
Aviation
Chest Pain
Coroners and Medical Examiners
Diarrhea
Emergencies
Humans
Hypersensitivity
Korea
Military Personnel
Noise
Preventive Medicine
Republic of Korea
Space Flight
Weightlessness

Figure

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  Figure 1 Lean illusion.

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  Figure 2 Fluid shift in space. (A) Before the launching, (B) during in space, (C) after the landing.

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