Does The International Space Station Have An On-Call Doctor?

The solvent is yes … and no ! It all depends on your definition of “ on call . ”

The ISS Mission Control Center in Houston , Texas has a staff of flight of stairs controllers available 24/7 , 365 days a year . One of those flight controllers carries the moniker of Flight Surgeon . They serve as the medical eyes and ears for every astronaut on board the ISS ( and of course , cosmonauts as well , if needed ) . But the flying sawbones is 250 miles away , and sit down at a computing gadget terminal . Their ability to aid the crew is limited in many aspects .

So , NASA chooses a Crew Medical Officer for each deputation , which was one of my province when I was a member of the ISS Expedition 15 crowd and also during my STS-131 mission on Discovery . In that content I was able to provide limited support to any on table medical situations and/or emergencies . Fortunately for me , and my Russian crew Ilex paraguariensis ( and commanding officer ) Fyodor Yurchikin , our third “ space brother ” Oleg Kotov , was a trained aesculapian Dr. , as in “ … wrench your head teacher and coughing ! ”

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Interesting view of how spaceflight may affect manly and distaff astronaut .

As the crew aesculapian military officer , I take in special — and additional — training for handling several key scenario . For lesson , I would be counted on to accumulate blood samples , do urinary ( Foley ) catheters ( has actually happened in space ! ) , carry out defibrillation ( perhaps the utilisation of the word execute is ill - apprise here ? ) , cannulation , the administering of sutures , basic dental ( draw out a tooth ) and eye care ( search for foreign object ) .

I even did a stint in the exigency room of a Houston - area hospital where I actually sewed up a affected role ’s leg ( 4 - wheeler accident ) , administered a crack ( drug junkie recovery ) , intubated a patient role , and perform 2 Foley catheter . I also watch , and then pointed out how — that ’s my style — two interns had blow the administering of an anesthetic . They were not very happy with me , a lowly astronaut . It was a hugely interesting Nox for me … and luckily , no one died !

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So , just how do we treat on board medical situations ? If serious events bob up , we connect with the priming now , while manoeuvre to our medical procedures book . Through our ability to spill directly to the Flight Surgeon in real - time ( promissory note here this will be a vast issue on Mars , what with a 20 - minute communication holdup ) , we are able to confirm , and then work through , the appropriate procedures .

To particular date ( thankfully ) we have had no decisive medical issues on ISS , but when we do , it will be interesting — and perhaps nail - biting if it ’s serious — as to what the outcome is . For example , consider a heart onrush or burst appendix scenario . It is very possible that part of the work party will depart the station for Earth . And if that were the case , how heavily would it be to stabilise the patient , put them in their Sokol space wooing , get them strapped in to the Soyuz , depart ISS for Earth , land and get them to a infirmary ? Scary condition for me .

Real - fourth dimension communication , allowing quick interview with the undercoat regarding procedural questions , are winder to succeeder on the ISS today . Mars present altogether different challenge in this regard .

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Bottom line ? This is why astronauts are require to go through so much aesculapian screening before extract as astronauts , and then again before they are ascribe to fly in space . We do n’t want these scenarios to ever occur , but one day , when humans actually move away from our secluded planet Earth , we will need to be quick to accept the challenge .

In the interim ? Keep lookin ’ up !

About the author : Clayton C. Anderson , Former resident of the ISS for 152 day in 2007 , 12 days in 2010

Photo: Jae C. Hong