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| Mental tasks 'impaired in the air' | Mental tasks 'impaired in the air' |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Passengers should stick to puzzles or books during a flight rather than making big decisions, the first UK professor of aerospace medicine says. | Passengers should stick to puzzles or books during a flight rather than making big decisions, the first UK professor of aerospace medicine says. |
| Mental tasks are impaired at high altitude, so dealing with key emails is best avoided, says David Gradwell. | |
| Passengers should follow health advice to avoid side-effects such as jet lag and dehydration, he says. | Passengers should follow health advice to avoid side-effects such as jet lag and dehydration, he says. |
| "Flying is safe," he told a news conference. "Millions of people do it every year without any issues at all." | "Flying is safe," he told a news conference. "Millions of people do it every year without any issues at all." |
| Prof Gradwell, of King's College, London, said most people could tolerate the higher air pressures inside a flight cabin quite well. | Prof Gradwell, of King's College, London, said most people could tolerate the higher air pressures inside a flight cabin quite well. |
| But he said learning was a little impaired at a higher altitude, as was performance of recently learned tasks. | But he said learning was a little impaired at a higher altitude, as was performance of recently learned tasks. |
| "It's perhaps not where you want to make the most important decision of your life," he said. | "It's perhaps not where you want to make the most important decision of your life," he said. |
| "Those of you who are looking forward to having emails in flight might want to think twice about sending that email to your bank manager." | |
| Improving advice | Improving advice |
| Prof Gradwell said more research was needed to improve the advice given to air passengers. | Prof Gradwell said more research was needed to improve the advice given to air passengers. |
| There was still no conclusive evidence on the wearing of compression stockings to prevent blood clots, he said, and whether these should be of a medical grade rather than bought over the counter. | There was still no conclusive evidence on the wearing of compression stockings to prevent blood clots, he said, and whether these should be of a medical grade rather than bought over the counter. |
| The professor said few people should be excluded from flying because of potential medical problems. | The professor said few people should be excluded from flying because of potential medical problems. |
| They include those with active tuberculosis, people who have been coughing up blood, those with severe anaemia or individuals experiencing a recent acute psychotic event. | They include those with active tuberculosis, people who have been coughing up blood, those with severe anaemia or individuals experiencing a recent acute psychotic event. |
| A research group at King's College will assess advice given to passengers before travel and look at whether GPs are providing appropriate guidance. | A research group at King's College will assess advice given to passengers before travel and look at whether GPs are providing appropriate guidance. |
| Prof Gradwell said most aircraft were now better equipped to deal with medical emergencies, carrying devices such as defibrillators. | |
| Cabin crews were trained to deal with a passenger being taken ill and could also take advice from trained staff on the ground, he added. | Cabin crews were trained to deal with a passenger being taken ill and could also take advice from trained staff on the ground, he added. |