Li Bowen, Xu Yue, Wang Dong, Wei Baodi, Zhu Huijing, Wu Mengdi, Lan Xiaohua, Yin Qiaoxiang, Cao Yanjie
Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2025 Mar;96(3):191-197. doi: 10.3357/AMHP.6551.2025.
High-altitude hypoxia remains one of the primary causes endangering flight safety to this day. This study explores the correlation between pilots' acute hypoxia endurance at high altitude and their comprehensive pulmonary function to help with pilot selection, training, and operations.
We selected 175 pilots (all men) at the Air Force Medical Center from January 2022 to March 2023. They underwent comprehensive pulmonary function tests and a simulated 22,965-ft (7000-m) hypoxia tests which were categorized into long-time (>360 s) or short-time (180 -360 s) groups based on endurance time. A multivariate Cox proportional risk model analyzed the link between lung function and hypoxia endurance.
All pilots completed the tests with a median hypoxia endurance time of 260 s. The long-time group consisted of 50.3% of the pilots and the short-time group consisted of 49.7%. The Cox model indicated that higher alveolar volume as a percentage of predicted and lower residual volume to total lung capacity ratio as a percentage of predicted significantly influenced hypoxia endurance time, while other variables showed no significant impact.
Pilots with higher alveolar volume as a percentage of predicted and lower residual volume to total lung capacity ratio as a percentage of predicted in comprehensive lung function are likely to have better gas exchange efficiency and lung function, leading to longer acute high-altitude hypoxia endurance time. Li B, Xu Y, Wang D, Wei B, Zhu H, Wu M, Lan X, Yin Q, Cao Y. High-altitude acute hypoxia endurance and comprehensive lung function in pilots. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2025; 96(3):191-197.
直至今日，高空缺氧仍是危及飞行安全的主要原因之一。本研究探讨飞行员在高空的急性缺氧耐力与其综合肺功能之间的相关性，以辅助飞行员选拔、训练及操作。
我们选取了2022年1月至2023年3月期间空军医疗中心的175名飞行员（均为男性）。他们接受了综合肺功能测试以及模拟22,965英尺（7000米）的缺氧测试，并根据耐力时间分为长时间组（>360秒）或短时间组（180 - 360秒）。采用多变量Cox比例风险模型分析肺功能与缺氧耐力之间的联系。
所有飞行员均完成测试，缺氧耐力时间中位数为260秒。长时间组占飞行员总数的50.3%，短时间组占49.7%。Cox模型表明，预测肺泡容积百分比越高以及预测残气量与肺总量比值百分比越低，对缺氧耐力时间有显著影响，而其他变量无显著影响。
在综合肺功能中，预测肺泡容积百分比越高且预测残气量与肺总量比值百分比越低的飞行员，其气体交换效率和肺功能可能更好，从而导致急性高空缺氧耐力时间更长。李B，徐Y，王D，魏B，朱H，吴M，兰X，尹Q，曹Y。飞行员的高空急性缺氧耐力与综合肺功能。航空航天医学与人类表现。2025；96(3):191 - 197。
