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Pilot Fatigue & Other Health Issues


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16 minutes ago, DEFCON said:

The article says there were 134 people on the 319. How do you go about squeezing that many bodies into that airframe?

Two to spare I think, config is shown as 12/124.

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being a Sleep apnea sufferer I can attest that I could fall asleep on a roller coaster in the right conditions until I began using CPAP.

I sought treatment when I began falling asleep at the wheel, my desk and just about anywhere else.  I was a danger to myself and others.  The only other "symptom" was snoring.

When I had my sleep study done they noted that my breathing was stopping 69 times an hour.  YES SIXTY NINE TIMES AN HOUR.  more than once a minute.  this placed me in the severe category.  Treatment began immediately after the study.  The results were swift and astounding.

Any pilot that experiences chronic fatigue should undergo a sleep study and see if they have an issue.  It was honestly the best thing I ever did. 

There are millions of undiagnosed people out there with Sleep Apnea.  

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Sleep apnea (above a certain threshold) is a disqualifying condition for pilots unless CPAP or adequate alternative mitigation is shown to be effective.There is a grading scale.  The cutoff for a pilot medical is clearly noted in the US, less widely known here. 

Alternate mitigation can be postural or something less than a full device.  That is important as travelling with a CPAP creates other issues, especially if the pilot is on an augmented crew where onboard sleep is part of the deal.

A friend who works in a sleep study lab tells me that the vast majority of people she sees have some degree of sleep apnea.  Sleep studies are being prescribed so frequently now (due to the increasing BMI of our population) that booking initial studies can be difficult, and follow up studies require specific conditions to be met or, in many cases, a lab won't take the booking. If a pilot gets grounded and needs follow up to show that their mitigation works, that follow up study goes into the general population queue.  Depending on the centre, we can be talking months.

So while exploring the threat is worthwhile, for pilots at least, it is a step that must be taken in concert with their company medical staff (or HR) as the pilot may find themselves grounded on the spot and for a long time.  Some companies react rather badly to this happening mid month.

The Canadian aeromedical approach needs some work to avoid unnecessarily grounding a lot of pilots.

IMO

Vs

 

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My follow up lab was supposed to be 6-8 weeks from the initial study.  it was done in 2 days because of the severity.  They can be scheduled based on severity.

 

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That's severity as measured by the lab.  The threshold for pilot disqualification is much lower, I had the score in a document at some point.  We had to reference it as we had a fellow caught in the gap.  Not serious enough for the pilot to get priority or to claim the cost of the device, but serious enough for TC to park them.  Was not a good situation and it took a while to resolve.

Of course, response time for a lab also varies by centre.

You are right to identify sleep apnea as an under-factored safety issue, not only for the immediate hazards you correctly identify, but also for the longer term risk of cardiac events.  The only catch for pilots is how to go about the investigation in order to avoid unintended and unnecessary hardship.

Vs

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The Government (in Ontario) shoulders much of the cost.  Most Testing centres do not sell machines. Some do but not many. They are doctors offices not supply stores.

I am well aware of the restrictions as I am a pilot like most of you.  I revoked my own medical for health reasons before the diagnosis.  It has since been reinstated with the restriction that I continue the CPAP therapy.  the restriction was imposed by the Medical Examiner.

I would suggest that anyone who has heard a complaint that they snore loud or excessively get tested.  It truly made a world of difference for me (and my wife)

 

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