Should helicopter frequent flyers wear head protection? A study of helmet effectiveness
Article Abstract:
The question of whether or not protective helmets should be used during flights has been raised since the first aviation fatality from head injury. This kind of injury is the most frequent type in helicopter accidents. Since 1959, the use of the APH-5 flight helmet has reduced the number of aviation head injuries. In 1970, a new helmet, the SPH-4 , was introduced, and became an essential life support component of military aviation equipment. The civilian helicopter pilots have been slow to use these helmets, and raise the question of the actual benefits from its use. To assess the efficacy of the SPH-4 helmet, a retrospective study was conducted using data concerning severe accidents, which were recorded in the Army Safety Management Information System (ASMIS) between 1972 and 1988. The accidents that were examined were classified at the investigation to have been survivable. The exposed group were survivors of the accidents who wore no protective helmets. The control group were survivors of accidents who used SPH-4 helmets. Of the total of 60,372 helicopter accidents recorded, 595 were classified as survivable. One hundred four individuals were in the exposed group, and 1,383 in the control group. The exposed group was at significantly greater risk of serious or fatal head injuries than the control group. The use of the SPH-4 helmet provided significant protection from serious head injuries. Head injuries in the un-helmeted group were twice as likely to be listed as the cause of death than in the helmeted group. The benefits of helmet use, and applicability of these data to civilian aviation, are still uncertain. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Journal of Occupational Medicine
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0096-1736
Year: 1991
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Advances in myocardial protection
Article Abstract:
Advances are being made in myocardial protection as minimally invasive methods expand surgical options. Success of cardiac surgery is due to a great extent to the myocardial protection techniques used to maintain cardiac viability during the period of induced ischemic arrest. As the number of older, high-risk cardiac surgical patients increases, it has become important to have advances in myocardial protection that make a quiet bloodless operative field with no irreversible intraoperative myocardial damage possible.
Publication Name: Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0889-4655
Year: 1998
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German risk structure compensation: enhancing equity and effectiveness
Article Abstract:
The German risk structure compensation (RSC) mechanism is analyzed. The RSC was enacted in 1994 to increase equity among sickness funds and improve competition, in response to increasing risk segmentation in health care financing and inequitable distribution of health care costs. Under the RSC, adjustments are based on age, gender, income and disability status rather than medical history. Comparison of the RSC with the US insurance system is also discussed.
Publication Name: Inquiry
Subject: Health care industry
ISSN: 0046-9580
Year: 1995
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