Evaluation of the Intraocular Pressure Following Helicopter Flight

Abstract

Exposure to high-altitude conditions during flight or other similar activities has a wide-ranging impact on visual function, which is crucial not just for flight safety but for any altitude-related activity. We aimed to look at the impact of high altitude on the intraocular pressure (IOP) of helicopter pilots. The flight took off from the airstrip at 5,525 feet and flew for an hour every day for 10 days at 8,000 feet. above mean sea level. Flights were undertaken at an altitude of 12,000 feet above mean sea level over the next 10 days. During these days, pilots had no other flights. Each pilot’s one eye was measured with a Tonopen (Reichert Tono-Pen AVIA) after five topical anesthetic drops prior to flight. The arithmetic mean of five measurements was determined and recorded as a value. The pre- and post-flight data for each subgroup were analyzed using the paired sample T-test in SPSS version 20 software. For the flights at an altitude of 8,000 feet, no group showed a significant change in IOP. For the flights at an altitude of 12,000 feet, both groups showed statistically significant changes in IOP. IOP decrease may contribute to an increased risk of safety events following prolonged flights at high altitudes in helicopter pilots.