Hypoxia

Hypoxemic hypoxia

Due to a deficiency of oxygen in arterial blood, drop by the amount of oxygen breathed. It is the type that most often presents in aviation medicine, although other types may also arise in flight. This type is also found in hypoxic pulmonary diseases, respiratory depression and in any form of suffocation. Hypoxia from exposure to altitude is only possible by reduced barometric pressures encountered at altitude; despite the concentration of oxygen in atmosphere remain around 21% of the floor space.

Discussion

Although the deterioration in night vision occurs at a pressure altitude [cabin] as low as 5,000 feet, other significant effects related to altitude hypoxia usually do not occur below 12,000 feet are in a pilot. 12,000 to 15,000 feet altitude occurs prejudice, judgment, memory, alertness, coordination and ability to perform calculations, focusing headache, drowsiness, dizziness or sense of well-being (euphoria) or aggression.

The aviation safety program is an important aspect to ensure safety and to manage risk at the lowest level possible. Without the induction of a proper awareness among the passengers, proper safety is not possible. A positive approach towards the Risk Management is also necessary in order to analyze and create proper policies to minimize the risk to the lowest level possible. The result of analysis of statistics indicates that the measures of safety are being ignored, bypassed and violated for a number of reasons which are mainly composed of personal and economic gain. The results also report that the structure of the incident and accident reporting, management of human resource, organizational procedures, and the role of the Civil Aviation Authority for the enforcement of proper procedures and policies are some of the points that require vital consideration in order to improve and ensure proper safety in the aviation industry.

The effects are appearing followed by increasingly shorter periods of exposure to increasing altitudes. In fact, the performance of the driver can seriously deteriorate within 15 minutes at 15,000 feet. Pressure at altitude [cab] above 15,000 feet, the peripheral visual field is reduced to the point where only central vision remains (tunnel vision). The fingertips as well as the lips take on a bluish color (cyanosis). The 18,000 feet the ability to adopt corrections and protective actions is lost between 20 to 30 minutes of exposure and 20,000 feet between 5 to 12 minutes, followed soon after unconsciousness. The altitude at which occur the significant effects of hypoxia can be reduced by a number of factors.

Carbon monoxide inhaled by smokers or exhaled gases, low hemoglobin (anemia), and certain drugs can reduce the ability to transport oxygen in the blood to levels where the amount of oxygen provided to body tissues will already be equivalent to the oxygen delivered to the tissues when exposed altitude pressure [cab] of several hundred feet.

A small quantity of alcohol and low doses of certain drugs, such as antihistamines, analgesics and tranquilizers may, through its depressor effect [ability to reduce physiological or psychological activity or reduce response to exposure to a chemical ...