The Use of Contact Lenses in the Civil Airman Population
Abstract
Federal Aviation Regulations permit the routine use of contact lenses by civilian pilots to satisfy the distant visual acuity requirements for obtaining the prevalence of both defective distant vision and contact lenses in the civil airman population is required to guide future medical certification decisions, policy changes, and education safety programs to aviation personnel. A descriptive, retrospective epidemiologic study was performed of active airmen by 5-year intervals for a 20-year period (1967 - 1987) using FAA databases and publications. The percentage of airmen who use contact lenses quadrupled during the study period. When stratified by class of medical certificate and age, the prevalence rates for airmen with first-class medical certificates and older airmen showed the largest increases. The increasing use of contact lenses and the variety of design, materials, and applications which may be employed by the pilot population mandate ongoing review for adverse changes and safety consequences. (sdw)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA227450
Entities
People
- Van B. Nakagawara
Organizations
- Federal Aviation Administration