Causes of permanent medical unfitness in cabin crew between 2017-2021 years

Objective: It is aimed to reveal the causes of permanent medical unfitness of the cabin crew who have undergone medical examination at the aeromedical centers in our country and cannot meet the required health standards as a result of the examinations. Material and Method: Our study was carried out on cabin crew members who were decided to be permanently unfit for flight between 2017-2021. Demographic data of the cabin crew, health examination findings, cigarette and alcohol use in terms of their effects on health, permanent medical inconvenience rates and causes by years and age groups were examined. All the retrospective data we used in this study were taken from the electronic file archive in the Air Health Unit of the General Directorate of Civil Aviation. The data were evaluated in the SPSS package statistics program. Results: In this retrospective study covering 5-year-period, the number of cabin crew members examined was 19035, and the number of people who were given a permanent unfit decision was 65 (‰3,4). The mean age of the cases was 31.71 ± 6.16, and 34 female and 31 male cabin crew members were identified. Only 5 of the cases identified in our study were between the ages of 40-49, and all the remaining cases were between the ages of 20-39. A statistically significant difference was found between 2017 and 2020 when compared with the total number of examinations and permanent medical unfit in other years (p<0.05). Psychiatric diseases (29.2%) were the most common diagnostic category among cabin crew members who were given a permanent unfit decision; alcohol and psychoactive substance abuse (16.9%) was in the second rank, and eye diseases (13.8%) were in the third rank. The remaining cases are due to diseases of the musculoskeletal system, otolaryngology, neurological, metabolic and endocrine system, digestive system, respiratory system and oncological diseases. Conclusion: It is clear that cabin crew must have the physical and mental capacity to perform their duties. Awareness of both the cabin crew and aviation medicine doctors about the diseases identified in our study should be increased. It is thought that the loss of material and labor in the airline industry will decrease by preventing the diseases/injuries detected in our study. This study draws attention to the importance of early diagnosis as well as clinical follow-up. Keywords: Aviation medicine, cabin crew member, aviation examination, permanent medical unfitness