Over the years, a large body of knowledge has developed regarding the ways in which space flight affects the health of the personnel involved. Now, for the first time, this clinical knowledge on how to diagnose and treat conditions that either develop during a mission or because of a mission has been compiled by Drs. Michael Barratt and Sam L. Pool of the NASA/Johnson Space Center. Complete with detailed information on the physiological and psychological affects of space flight as well as how to diagnose and treat everything from dental concerns to decompression to dermatological problems encountered, this text is a must have for all those associated with aerospace medicine.

2009 life science book award from IAA.

Encompassing all occupants of aircraft and spacecraft—passengers and crew, military and civilian—Fundamentals of Aerospace Medicine, 5th Edition, addresses all medical and public health issues involved in this unique medical specialty. Comprehensive coverage includes everything from human physiology under flight conditions to the impact of the aviation industry on public health, from an increasingly mobile global populace to numerous clinical specialty considerations, including a variety of common diseases and risks emanating from the aerospace environment. This text is an invaluable reference for all students and practitioners who engage in aeromedical clinical practice, engineering, education, research, mission planning, population health, and operational support.

The success of any space flight mission depends not only on advanced technology but also on the health and well-being of crew members. This book, written by an astronaut physician, is the first practical guide to maintaining crew members health in space. It combines research results with practical advice on such problems as bone loss, kidney stones, muscle wasting, motion sickness, loss of balance, orthostatic intolerance, weight loss, and excessive radiation exposure. Additional topics include pre-flight preparation, relevant gender differences, long-duration medical planning, post-flight rehabilitation, and the physiology of extra-vehicular activity. Designed as a handbook for space crews, this text is also an invaluable tool for all the engineers, medical personnel, and scientists who plan and execute space missions.

Ernsting's Aviation and Space Medicine applies current understanding in medicine, physiology and the behavioural sciences to the medical challenges and stresses that are faced by both civil and military aircrew, and their passengers, on a daily basis. The fifth edition of this established textbook has been revised and updated by a multi-disciplinar

Safe Passage: Astronaut Care for Exploration Missions sets forth a vision for space medicine as it applies to deep space voyage. As space missions increase in duration from months to years and extend well beyond Earth's orbit, so will the attendant risks of working in these extreme and isolated environmental conditions. Hazards to astronaut health range from greater radiation exposure and loss of bone and muscle density to intensified psychological stress from living with others in a confined space. Going beyond the body of biomedical research, the report examines existing space medicine clinical and behavioral research and health care data and the policies attendant to them. It describes why not enough is known today about the dangers of prolonged travel to enable humans to venture into deep space in a safe and sane manner. The report makes a number of recommendations concerning NASA's structure for clinical and behavioral research, on the need for a comprehensive astronaut health care system and on an approach to communicating health and safety risks to astronauts, their families, and the public.

This highly practical guide is ideal for any medical professional who deals with the aerospace environment or is involved in the healthcare of aircrew or individuals preparing for or returning from aerospace travel. The book covers all the main aspects of aerospace medicine, including the salient physiology and clinical aspects in note form for rapid assimilation, and makes plentiful use of figures, algorithms and tables throughout. Key Features: • Comprehensive covering all aspects of clinical aerospace medicine and relevant physiology • Note-based for rapid reference in the clinical setting • Highly practical with illustrations and tables supporting the text throughout • From a highly experienced international team of editors and contributors • Ideal as a handbook companion, complementing the definitive reference Ernsting’s Aviation and Space Medicine, for use ‘on the go’ The book will be an indispensable companion to all civil and military aviation medicine practitioners including those preparing for professional qualifying examinations, and a useful aid for other physicians with an interest in aviation medicine or who are required to inform patients regularly regarding the likely effects of flight, including family practitioners and hospital doctors, physiologists with an interest in the area and occupational and public health personnel.

With a prologue by Melchor J AntuA ano (Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Oklahoma City, USA) The book provides an up-to-date overview of the history of aviation medicine and the development of medical requirements for licensing. Also the physiological foundation for flight, the physiology of the sensory organs, exposure to cosmic radiation, the preventative aspects of aviation medicine, the role of medical factors in accident investigation, and passenger health issues are covered.The bulk of the book is the clinical part which contains several chapters and sub-chapters on clinical aviation medicine with detailed guidance, written by Medical Examiners for Medical Examiners, on how to examine aircrew and how to determine their fitness for flight, especially in cases where the medical requirements are not fully met. Focussing on cardiology, ophthalmology, otology, neurology, psychology and psychiatry, Principles and Practice of Aviation Medicine provides an in-depth discussion of many diseases and medical conditions, frequently encountered in aeromedical practice, with emphasis on how they relate to the demands of contemporary aviation, both with regard to airline pilots and private pilots. Throughout particular consideration is given to how and when flexibility can be applied to the medical certification.In addition, the book includes a chapter on the international medical requirements and other pertinent rules and regulations for medical certification set by the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA) and the Federal Aviation Administration of the United States (FAA), as well as the latest revised medical standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)."

Still the only book published anywhere in the world which is devoted entirely to the principles of aeromedical transport, Aeromedical Transportation has rightly become known as the sole reference for the industry. This second edition has been radically revised and updated; featuring the latest research, updated references and new chapters on the transport of intensive care patients, and medical emergencies/death in flight. Since the first edition was published in 1996, the concept of 'evidence-based medicine' has been accepted as essential in any book which endeavours to be the accepted knowledge base in its subject area. A very practical text, international in its approach, much of its content is devoted to clinical matters. Administration and organisation are also discussed, but are addressed from the standpoint of the clinical aeromedical escort. The text is suitable for medical, paramedical and nursing personnel and for those working in organizations whose duties include the transportation of the sick and injured by air.

This edited volume makes the case that a systems approach is needed for long-term spaceflight missions. Due to distance from Earth and the impossibility of resupply or rapid return, these flights will entail unprecedented autonomy on the part of the crew. This autonomy includes the need for local clinical decision support and other assistance with urgent medical concerns. The advantage of a systems approach to medical needs in human spaceflight is that it enables a systematic and repeatable methodology for identifying and developing the individual pieces of the spacecraft systems based on the human system needs that are unique to that problem and environment.The book begins by introducing a systems basis for thinking about humans in space. It describes existing models and paradigms of systems medicine, as well as the tools and analytical approaches involved. A tantalizing peek at preliminary applications of systems medicine in NASA is provided. As systems in human spaceflight continue to evolve for the foreseeable future, it is argued that a systems approach will help to ensure that the evolution of the relevant sub-systems is centered on optimal human-system function across the unique spaceflight needs of the developing customer base. The discussions on balancing the needs of the mission versus the maintenance of crew health, medical risk and liability for commercial spaceflights, and the need to anticipate what the next medical issues might be, will hopefully leave readers cautiously optimistic about this new frontier of applied science.