Odyssey April 2002: Medical Care in Microgravity

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Odyssey, April 2002. Editor: Kris Cerone

Medical Care in Microgravity

By Tina Beychok

Just how healthy do you have to be to go into space? A task force put together by the Aerospace Medical Association tackled this question in order to come up with a set of working guidelines to determine fitness for space travel. Their findings were published in the October 2001 issue of Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine.

In essence, the answer to the question of how healthy a candidate for space travel must be is "very." Aside from obvious disqualifications, such as severe nausea or diarrhea, psychotic episodes or blindness, other medical conditions that most people might not consider severely debilitating were also included on the "disqualification" list. These included pregnancy, irritable bowel syndrome and certain skin conditions.

On the bright side, several conditions that would call for a disqualification if symptomatic or poorly controlled, might still allow for space. For example, someone with diabetes or hypertension might still be able to fly if they can show that their condition is well-managed. Additionally, a candidate who has certain asymptomatic conditions that will not cause on-going disability may also qualify for space flight.

The task force concluded, "Because of so many unknowns, such as duration of flight, cabin pressure, the duration of accelerative forces and the support equipment requirements [if any], the Task Force did not intend to be dogmatic nor directive. The guidelines are meant to serve only as a template with the full expectation that exceptions might be made with appropriate rationale."

Next month: Good vibrations can help reduce bone mineral loss!

Tina Beychok is a medical editor and is married to OASIS president Steve Bartlett. When not working as a space activist, she teaches fencing at Renaissance Fairs and greatly enjoys allowing five-year-olds to poke holes in her.