Citation

Balldin UI. Aviat. Space Environ. Med. 1978; 49(4): 599-602.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1978, Aerospace Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

346015

Abstract

The RSAF two-pressure flying suit system to protect the pilot at high altitude has been tested from different medical safety aspects. To secure adequate alveolar oxygen pressure, the suit admits up to 70 mm Hg (9.3 kPa) positive pressure breathing by counter-pressure against the thorax and by a 3.2 times higher pressure in the anti-G suit. After 1 h of oxygen breathing, subjects were exposed to explosive decompression from an altitude of 9,000 m to 17,500 or 20,000 m in 0.5 s in a hypobaric chamber. No symptoms of decompression sickness or of alveolar rupture with gas embolism to the central nervous system were seen. Pulmonary X-rays after the test did not reveal any signs of lung rupture with extrapulmonary gas leakage. With the precordial Doppler ultrasound technique, intracardial gas bubbles (silent bubbles) could be detected only in one subject after explosive decompression to a 20,000-m altitude in the 10 experiments.

Language: en