Association of postmortem blood hemoglobin A1c levels with diabetic conditions in aviation accident pilot fatalities

White, V.L., Chaturvedi, A.K., Canfield, D.V., and Garber, M.

FAA Office of Aerospace Medicine - Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

关键词: Forensic Science;    Toxicology;    Diabetes;    Glucose;    Urine;    Vitreous Humor;    Postmortem Aircraft Accident Investigation;   

RP-ID  :  DOT/FAA/AM-01/12

美国|英语

来源: Federal Aviation Administration

【 摘 要 】

The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA's) Office of Aerospace Medicine evaluates present and proposed medical certification standards for pilots. Under this responsibility, the FAA Civil Aerospace Medical Institute investigates the role of potential medical-or drug-related performance impairment in pilots. In previous research, abnormal glucose levels in vitreous humor (>125 mg/dL) and urine (>100 mg/dL) have been linked with diabetic conditions in pilots of fatal aviation accidents. Although these abnormal glucose levels identify pilots with elevated blood sugar at the time of death, they do not provide information on how well diabetes was controlled in these pilots. Since post-crash factors (trauma, stress, medical intervention) can dramatically affect blood glucose levels, a measure of long-term diabetic control was sought for postmortem specimens.