Posted on by Californiacontrarian

Extending the PR on the QT !

In a marked contrast to the way things are usually done, the FAA has made a change … under the radar, so to speak on a previously acceptable EKG parameter for airline pilots. In December, 2022, the FAA changed the acceptable upper limit on an EKG parameter, the PR Interval. It did this without a published explanation, and without any referenced medical literature or medical study to back up the change. The normal PR Interval for as long as I can remember has always been 0.20 seconds. Now all of the sudden, the FAA has said that for airline pilots a PR Interval of 0.30 seconds is acceptable.

For me this FAA change smells of skullduggery in two separate, but possibly related aspects.

First of all, why do this on the QT? (A weak attempt at irony as the QT Interval is another time interval measurement on an EKG.) To me any time a government agency does something under the cover of darkness, I am suspicious. In this situation why not have a physician, either a flight surgeon or a cardiologist publicly announce this change and explain why. If the FAA had consulted cardiologists before making this decision, why not have one those cardiologists make the announcement?

Secondly, as most are aware there is a shortage of pilots. Some people have suggested that the pilot shortage, which pre-dates COVID, could have influenced FAA to make the PR interval criteria change. The broadened range of acceptability could give more leeway for older pilots to continue flying, as  often the PR Interval will increase some with age. Onto the pre-Covid pilot shortage add the number of pilots who have refused to get the vaccine, and those claiming disability from the same mandated vaccine. Last year disturbing statistics began to emerge. At one major commercial airline, between January and July 2022, “there was a 300 percent increase in long-term disability claims among pilots.” That’s according to data from a pilots union. What caused the numbers to climb is not known, although the timing closely follows the vaccine mandates that affected pilots in late 2021. This significant increase in disability among pilots only aggravates the pilot shortage.

One of the things I have not commented on is the potential for myocarditis as a vaccine side effect, and the likelihood that asymptomatic silent myocarditis could affect the PR Interval. This becomes important since around 90+% of airline pilots are vaccinated.

So all in all, to me there is more than enough suspicion to spread around concerning the FAA’s raising of the acceptable PR on the QT! Hmmm!

1/26/23

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