Italy hosted the 8th edition of the course organized by the Board of “Aviation Medicine” of the European Air Group. The course is structured into six-week modules that take place consecutively at the most prestigious European Aviation Medicine Centers, during which the participating nations enhance their excellence in the field. The Italian Air Force has requested the assignment of the “Space and Operational Medicine” module, in order to enhance its expertise in these unique sectors of the aerospace branch. The European Air Group (EAG) aims to increase interoperability between the countries participating in the EAG through mutual knowledge and the exchange of services, and in this regard the working group that deals with aeronautical medicine is very active. Among other projects underway, the group organizes an advanced training course that has now become a staple in the professional path of European Flight Surgeons, who are our Stormo Doctors. The goal is to provide an update on the most recent developments in the field of aerospace medicine and to provide the participants with the tools to best perform their role as Staff Officers for the Senior Authorities responsible for aeronautical health policies.
Thanks to the acquisition of the qualification of Space Flight Surgeons, by Medical Officers of the Air Force, the only ones in Europe to achieve it at the Cosmonauts Training Center “Y. Gagarin” in Moscow, space medicine has become an important asset within the Health Service, supporting the activities of astronauts from the Armed Forces. As this is an advanced training course, therefore aimed at high-ranking personnel already experienced in the aerospace field, the theoretical lessons delivered by experts from prestigious Universities and Civil Research Centers, such as the Campus Biomedico in Rome and the National Institute for Research on Ageing, have been integrated with guided visits to facilities closely integrated with the health service. In particular, the visit to the Thales Alenia Space facilities was highly appreciated; a team of qualified engineers demonstrated the practical application of ergonomic concepts for protecting humans during space missions. In the intervention of Prof. Bizarri, President of the Scientific Technical Council of the Italian Space Agency, the future challenges of human exploration of the solar system were then illustrated.
In the “Operational Medicine” sector, the Air Force has made available to the participants the skills acquired by the Biocontainment Unit of the Main Infirmary of Pratica di Mare (RM), which, in addition to the theoretical lessons on the principles of the air medical transport of a highly infectious patient, coordinated a simulation on the management of a transport in biocontainment. The entire medical team that managed the dedicated equipment participated in the exercise, in particular the Aircraft Transport Isolator, with the valuable support of the Airfield Command, the 14th Flight Wing and the Experimental Flight Center of Pratica di Mare.
