DGCA: Crew to be grounded if hypertension is confirmed

This is one of the several new set of guidelines on disposal of cases of hypertension in civil crew, announced in an Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) by the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) recently.

The AIC is applicable to students and private licence holders (SPL and PPL) holding a class II medical certificate as well as for initial issue of licence medical examination.

"In case hypertension is confirmed by 24 hours ambulatory BP monitoring, the pilot will be taken off flying duties and treated by his Authorised Medical Attendant (AMA) till satisfactory control of blood pressure is achieved," the guidelines posted on the DGCA website stated.

In case the flight crew is confirmed to have hypertension, he/she will be placed under observation and declared temporarily unfit for flying duties, the DGCA circular said.

The AIC assumes significance in view of recent reports suggesting that cockpit and cabin crew were working under conditions of stress, leading to fatigue and other related diseases like hypertension.

According to the DGCA guidelines, a blood pressure recording of 140/90 will be accepted as the upper limit of the normal phase.

However, phase V of Korrotkoff sounds (disappearance) will be used to indicate diastolic (low) pressure for purpose of uniformity.

The flight crew, once diagnosed with hypertension and grounded temporarily, will be reviewed four weeks after optimal blood pressure control.

"During this period, the flight crew will be directed to the AMA or company doctor for investigation and treatment of hypertension," the AIC said, adding, that "air crew may be reviewed at IAM, Armed Forces Central Medical Establishment (AFCME) or MCE".

However, cases of white-collar hypertension will be treated as