Extent and etiology of aeromedical duty restrictions at a U.S. Coast Guard air station.

Aircrew are subject to flight and duty restrictions for various health-related problems. The major classifications of aeromedical limitations in the US Coast Guard are: Fit For Limited Duty (FFLD), fit for Duty Not Involving Flying (DNIF), and Sick In Quarters (SIQ). I studied the etiology and distribution of these restrictions among aircrew at a busy Coast Guard Air Station. Data were collected over a 6-month period from personnel Health Records and various medical reporting systems. A total of 391 health care episodes among 179 (56.6%) flight crew resulted in 1,961 days of flight/duty restriction. There were 1,349 (68.8%) days of DNIF, 439 (22.4%) days of FFLD, and 173 (8.8%) days of SIQ. The annual crude rate of restrictions per flight crew is 12.4 d. The most common causes for flight or duty restriction were infectious diseases of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract and musculoskeletal problems. In conclusion, aeromedical flight/duty restrictions are substantial and have impact on flight crew availability.