The Effect of Gender on Susceptibility to Altitude Decompression Sickness.
Abstract
Inclusion of females in combat roles places some of them in cockpits where decompression sickness (DCS) in their male counterparts occurs on a routine basis. A retrospective review of data from 765,216 training chamber exposures indicated females are 4.6 times more susceptible to DCS than males (0.224% in females versus 0.049% in males). Relevant published data from research chamber human subject protocols are scarce and equivocal. A research chamber study comparing female and male susceptibility to DCS was initiated at the Armstrong Laboratory at Brooks AF03, TX. The six-h, zero-preoxygenation exposures used a breathing gas of 100% oxygen during exposure and subjects performed mild exercises while decompressed. Altitude of exposure in It, number of subjects and gender (M or F), and % DCS incidence were, respectively: 15,000, lOM, 0%; 16,500, 8M, 0%; 18,100, lOM, 0%, lOF, 0%; 19,800, lOM, 0%, lOF, 10%; 21,200, 17M, 6%; 22,500, 18M, 50%, 2F, 0%; 23,800, lOM, 50%. No statistical comparison could be made of DCS susceptibility due to the low number of female subjects exposed at the altitudes where DCS was common in male subjects. Further research is needed at higher altitudes under identical conditions with both genders to enable comparisons of DCS susceptibility.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1996
- Accession Number
- ADA328256
Entities
People
- Andrew A. Pilmanis
- James T. Webb
Organizations
- Armstrong Laboratory