Comparison of physical examination in recruitment of aircrews and annual physical examination of aircrews with rhinogical disease spectra of hospitalized aircrews

Objective To provide reference for aviation medical support by comparing the physical examination in recruitment of aircrews and annual physical examination of aircrews with rhinogical disease spectra of hospitalized aircrews. Methods Eliminated nasal examination medical record data about 407 candidates for recruitment of pilots in 2006-2011,annual nasal examination medical record data about 1 072 aircrews in 2005 to 2011 and medical record data about 306 aircrews（355 cases/time） admitted to hospital due to nasal disease were compared with their disease spectra. Results The top 5 disease spectra observed in nasal examination for recruitment of pilots were deviation of nasal septum（35.38%）,abnormalities of ostiomeatal complex（31.94%）,chronic rhinosinusitis（14.99%）,allergic rhinitis（11.79%） and chronic rhinitis（2.46%）.The top 5 diseases spectra in annual physical examination of aircrews were chronic rhinitis（26.68%）,deviation of nasal septum（17.16%）,chronic rhinosinusitis（11.57%）,cyst in nasal sinus（10.45%） and sinus barosinusitis（9.79%）.The top 5 disease spectra of hospitalized aircrews were chronic rhinosinusitis（22.54%）,sinus barosinusitis（20.85%）,deviation of nasal septum（15.21%）,allergic rhinitis（14.65%） and cyst in nasal sinus（8.73%）.The proportions of deviation of nasal septum,sinus barotrauma and allergic rhinitis were significantly higher in nasal examination for recruitment of pilots and annual physical examination of pilots than in hospitalized aircrews（χ²=56.72 and 40.11,χ²=108.26 and 11.91,χ²=108.26 and 11.91 vs χ²=29.68,P＜0.01）. Conclusion Attention should be paid to deviation of nasal septum,abnormalities of ostiomeatal complex,chronic rhinosinusitis,allergic rhinitis in nasal examination for recruitment of pilots,and the indications for sending pilots to hospital,especially the relation between nasal diseases and barotraumas,in their annual physical examination.