Contact Lens Use in the Civil Airman Population

摘要

Since 1976, the use of contact lenses by civilian pilots has been permitted to correct distant vision for obtaining a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aeromedical certificate. Although contact lens technology has advanced dramatically in recent years, the aviation environment may still have adverse effects on contact lens performance in some flight situations. This study examined the civil airman population's experience with contact lens use for a 30-year period (1967-97). The information will help guide future medical certification decisions, policy revisions, and education safety programs for aeromedical and flight crew personnel. The FAA's Aerospace Medical Certification Division provided population totals for 1 January 1967 through 31 December 1997 of airmen who carried a pathology code for contact lens use (code 161) or orthokeratology (code 158). These data were stratified by class of medical certificate and age. Prevalence rates were calculated using the population frequencies from the annual Aeromedical Certification Statistical Handbook (AC 8500-1). A search of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and FAA databases was performed to determine if contact lens use had contributed to any aviation mishaps (accidents or incidents).