title: Toxicological findings in 889 fatally injured obese pilots involved in aviation accidents.
abstract: Prevalence of drugs in fatally injured obese pilots involved in aviation accidents has not been evaluated. Therefore, toxicological findings in such pilots (body mass index ≥30 kg/m(2) ) were examined in a data set derived from the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute's (CAMI's) Scientific Information System for 1990-2005. Aeromedical histories of these aviators were retrieved from the CAMI medical certification and toxicology databases, and the cause/factors in the related accidents from the National Transportation Safety Board's database. In 311 of the 889 pilots, carbon monoxide, cyanide, ethanol, and drugs were found, and glucose and hemoglobin A(1c) were elevated. Of the 889 pilots, 107 had an obesity-related medical history. The health and/or medical condition(s) of, and/or the use of ethanol and/or drugs by, pilots were the cause/factors in 55 (18%) of the 311 accidents. Drugs found were primarily for treating obesity-related medical conditions such as depression, hypertension, and coronary heart disease.
authors.affiliation: Aerospace Medical Research Division, Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, Federal Aviation Administration, US Department of Transportation, Oklahoma City, OK 73125-5066, USA. arvind.chaturvedi@faa.gov
authors.forename: Arvind K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Chaturvedi
authors.forename: Sabra R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Botch
authors.forename: Eduard M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Ricaurte
mesh_terms: D000060:Accidents, Aviation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000097:blood; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood; D016208:Databases, Factual; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D053593:Forensic Toxicology; D005947:Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D006856:Hydrogen Cyanide / Q000097:blood; D007477:Ions / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009294:Narcotics / Q000097:blood*; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000097:blood*; D014822:Vitreous Body / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D002263:Carboxyhemoglobin; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol; D005947:Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006856:Hydrogen Cyanide; D007477:Ions; D009294:Narcotics; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human