Sinonasal Symptoms and Outcomes in Aircrew

Background: This study was performed to determine the effect of extended flying time on the Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) scores of aircrew. Methodology: A cross-sectional questionnaire was administered to 172 randomly selected aircrew employees (pilots and flight attendants) of Saudi based airlines, collecting demographic data, smoking habit, flying hours, job effects, SNOT22 score, and nasal surgery history. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: When flying time exceeded 12 hours weekly, job performance was affected for 45.4% of the aircrew. Some (24.8%) cancelled their flights because symptoms were intolerable. This was reflected on the SNOT-22 instrument: respondents indicated nasal discharge (p = 0.012), ear fullness (p = 0.03), or a nasal block (p = 0.004). Conclusion: Flying time of more than 12 hours weekly presents a significant risk for developing many sinonasal symptoms.

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