- Author
- Nesthus, T. E. | Garner, R. P. | Mills, S. H. | Wise, R. A.
- Title
- Effects of Simulated General Aviation Altitude Hypoxia on Smokers and Nonsmokers. Final Report.
- Coporate
- Federal Aviation Administration, Oklahoma City, OH OMNI Corp., Oklahoma City, OK
- Sponsor
- Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC
- Report
- DOT/FAA/AM-97/7; Final Report, March 1997, 63 p.
- Keywords
- hypoxia | smoking | oxygen | physiological effects | carbon dioxide | altitude | civil aircraft | cigarettes | human behavior | males | human factors engineering | hyperventilation | human performance
- Identifiers
- simulated altitude; supplemental oxygen; requirement for aviation; multiple complex task performance; aptitude tests; breathing gases; civil aviation; flight simulation; heart rate; high altitude; oxygen masks; peripheral vision
- Abstract
- General aviation pilots are permitted to fly without the use of supplemental oxygen up to an altitude of 12,500 ft. However, hypoxia occurs at altitudes under 12,500 ft. Personal lifestyle, physical conditioning, and illness can interact with hypoxia to affect performance. This study evaluated physiological and cognitive performance of smokers and nonsmokers during sessions of mild hypoxia. Nine male smokers and 9 nonsmokers performed the Multi-Attribute Task Battery (MATB) while breathing oxygen mixtures that simulated sea level, 5,000 ft., 8,000 ft., and 12,500 ft. altitude conditions. Four physiological measures: transcutaneous partial pressures of oxygen and carbon dioxide (P(tc)O2 and P(tc)CO2), heart rate (HR), and oxyhemoglobin saturation (SaO2), demonstrated significant trends across the simulated altitude conditions and for some measures, between groups. Results of the physiological measures obtained, confirmed the study's targeted levels of hypoxia. Smokers exhibited elevated HR and lower P(tc)CO2 values, compared with nonsmokers. Elevated HR is consistent with nicotine effects. Reduced P(tc)CO2 values may indicate greater hyperventilation among the smokers. Smokers may have experienced a reduction of peripheral vision and their ability to visually monitor several tasks simultaneously.