NASA Astronaut Serena Auñón-Chancellor, based on the International Space Station (ISS), kindly took time out of her busy schedule to give her thoughts on the annual World Extreme Medicine Conference… https://youtu.be/4_O4qTVlDyk

But medicine in Space is unsurprisingly tricky and incredibly basic. Medical procedures which are taken very much for granted on a generously endowed gravity secure Earth are very much more complicated in zero-G. WEM Faculty and senior NASA Flight Surgeon Dr Michael Barrett stated in a interview for BBC Future whilst speaking at the World Extreme Medicine Conference ‘‘we can stabilise someone who has a dramatic injury but we can’t sustain a patient for long’ Source BBC.

Whats the issue? Part of it is simply space and resources as Mike highlights ‘“But we’re not yet at that point where we have a large enough crew or are far enough away to have a dedicated medical officer” and the other issue is payload and storage space on the International Space Station (ISS https://www.facebook.com/ISS/). If you where to compare the equipment capability on the ISS then your looking at modern-day paramedic would carry travelling ‘lite’ in fact being taken ill in your local shopping mall might provide you with better support.

Whats the future? Clearly as commercial space travel becomes a reality, as astronauts venture to Mars and space colonies are planned for the Moon develop is going to be both swift and lightweight. Innovation might well be the key. Dr Scott Parazynski, former NASA Astronaut and flight surgeon, the only person to have been both in the International Space Station and on the summit of Everest, will be presenting on just this at the 2018 WEM Conference in Edinburgh.

Mike Barrett however is views the future positively that one of his successors will get the facilities of a real Dr McCoy.

“A medical sickbay in space will absolutely be a reality in future but you will have to have a certain threshold of crew members, size of spacecraft and level of remoteness before you break that cost-benefit barrier.’,

Join us this year where for the first time in WEM history, we’re hosting a virtual conference (17th & 18th Oct) – so you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online). Book your place today!

Whilst celebrating Independence Day NASA Astronaut Serene Auñón-Chancellor, based on the International Space Station (ISS), kindly took time out of her busy schedule to give her thoughts on the 2019 World Extreme Medical Conference.

Dr. Serena M. Auñón-Chancellor began working with NASA as a Flight Surgeon in 2006.  In 2009, she was selected as a NASA astronaut.  During her NASA career, Dr. Auñón-Chancellor spent more than nine months in Russia supporting medical operations for International Space Station crew members in Star City.  She also served as Deputy Crew Surgeon for STS-127 and is board certified in both Internal and Aerospace Medicine. She is currently a part of the Expedition 56/57 crew that launched to the International Space Station in June 2018.
Source NASA.

International Space Station on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ISS/

The International Space Station (ISS) is a space station, or a habitable artificial satellite, in low Earth orbit. Its first component launched into orbit in 1998, the last pressurised module was fitted in 2011, and the station is expected to operate until 2028. Development and assembly of the station continues, with components scheduled for launch in 2018 and 2019. The ISS is the largest human-made body in low Earth orbit and can often be seen with the naked eye from Earth.^[8][9] The ISS consists of pressurised modules, external trusses, solar arrays, and other components. ISS components have been launched by Russian Proton and Soyuz rockets, and American Space Shuttles.

The ISS serves as a microgravity and space environment research laboratory in which crew members conduct experiments in biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and other fields.^[11][12][13] The station is suited for the testing of spacecraft systems and equipment required for missions to the Moon and Mars.^[14] The ISS maintains an orbit with an altitude of between 330 and 435 km (205 and 270 mi) by means of reboost manoeuvres using the engines of the Zvezda module or visiting spacecraft. It completes 15.54 orbits per day.
^{Source: Wikipedia}

The World Extreme Medicine Conference is a platform for inspiring medical minds to meet, share experiences and promote cross-disciplinary working. We’re dedicated to sharing and spreading best practice for the world’s medical professionals, willing to risk themselves to help others.

The conference stimulates new thinking, extends professional relationships and shares new and more effective approaches to medical practice in challenging environments. Listen to conference founder Mark Hannaford’s podcast on why WEM does what it does

Join us this year where for the first time in WEM history, we’re hosting a virtual conference (17th & 18th Oct) – so you can be inspired from the comfort of your sofa (or, frankly, from wherever in the world you can get online). Book your place today!