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Medical treatment during spaceflight
It is inevitable that medical conditions of varying complexity, severity and emergency will occur during spaceflight missions with human participants. Different levels of care are required depending on the problem, available resources and time required to return to Earth.
All medical problems have the potential to affect the mission, but significant illnesses or trauma will result in a high probability of mission failure or loss of crew. As the distance that missions travel from Earth increases, more possible medical conditions and types of trauma will need to be evaluated. Return to Earth will be highly unlikely or very difficult depending on the distance traveled.[not verified in body] Emergency health care will, and psychological support may, have to be self-administered and could possibly be completely autonomous. The most effective way to provide adequate support is to establish a thorough pre-flight health status assessment and develop a systematic approach to autonomous health care in space.
For NASA, specific provisions and requirements for medical services during space missions are outlined in NPD 8900.5B NASA Health and Medical Policy for Human Space Exploration, NPD 8900.1G Medical Operations Responsibilities in Support of Human Space Flight Programs and NASA-STD-3001 NASA Spaceflight Human Systems Standard - Volume 1, Crew Health.
Most medical conditions that occur while in flight do not constitute a medical emergency and can be treated with medication, if available. Some documented non-emergency conditions that have occurred while in space include, Space Adaptation Sickness, motion sickness, headache, sleeplessness, back pain, trauma, burns, dermatological conditions, musculoskeletal conditions, respiratory illness and genitourinary problems.
The use of medication relating to sleep loss and circadian rhythmicity is widespread amongst astronauts. According to an observational study of 79 early U.S. shuttle missions, hypnotic drugs accounted for 45% of all medication dispensed to astronauts in space.
Potential medical emergencies during space flight include arrhythmias, heart attack, stroke, embolism, massive hemorrhage, emergencies related to renal stone formation, infection and thrombotic complications.
To date, arrhythmias, renal colic, venous thrombosis, and infections have been documented during space flights. The documented arrhythmias were mostly mild abnormalities, but potentially serious arrhythmias have been reported.
The manifestation of coronary artery disease has not been registered during any human space flight, but considering the risk of coronary events in older people and the increasing age of crew members, the possibility of complications during long-duration missions should not be ignored. Other medical emergencies that have been observed in space include rare but real cases of urological and dental emergencies.
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Medical treatment during spaceflight
It is inevitable that medical conditions of varying complexity, severity and emergency will occur during spaceflight missions with human participants. Different levels of care are required depending on the problem, available resources and time required to return to Earth.
All medical problems have the potential to affect the mission, but significant illnesses or trauma will result in a high probability of mission failure or loss of crew. As the distance that missions travel from Earth increases, more possible medical conditions and types of trauma will need to be evaluated. Return to Earth will be highly unlikely or very difficult depending on the distance traveled.[not verified in body] Emergency health care will, and psychological support may, have to be self-administered and could possibly be completely autonomous. The most effective way to provide adequate support is to establish a thorough pre-flight health status assessment and develop a systematic approach to autonomous health care in space.
For NASA, specific provisions and requirements for medical services during space missions are outlined in NPD 8900.5B NASA Health and Medical Policy for Human Space Exploration, NPD 8900.1G Medical Operations Responsibilities in Support of Human Space Flight Programs and NASA-STD-3001 NASA Spaceflight Human Systems Standard - Volume 1, Crew Health.
Most medical conditions that occur while in flight do not constitute a medical emergency and can be treated with medication, if available. Some documented non-emergency conditions that have occurred while in space include, Space Adaptation Sickness, motion sickness, headache, sleeplessness, back pain, trauma, burns, dermatological conditions, musculoskeletal conditions, respiratory illness and genitourinary problems.
The use of medication relating to sleep loss and circadian rhythmicity is widespread amongst astronauts. According to an observational study of 79 early U.S. shuttle missions, hypnotic drugs accounted for 45% of all medication dispensed to astronauts in space.
Potential medical emergencies during space flight include arrhythmias, heart attack, stroke, embolism, massive hemorrhage, emergencies related to renal stone formation, infection and thrombotic complications.
To date, arrhythmias, renal colic, venous thrombosis, and infections have been documented during space flights. The documented arrhythmias were mostly mild abnormalities, but potentially serious arrhythmias have been reported.
The manifestation of coronary artery disease has not been registered during any human space flight, but considering the risk of coronary events in older people and the increasing age of crew members, the possibility of complications during long-duration missions should not be ignored. Other medical emergencies that have been observed in space include rare but real cases of urological and dental emergencies.