Contemporary review of dermatologic conditions in space flight and future implications for long-duration exploration missions.
Aerospace medicine
Artemis
Deep space
Dermatology
Long duration
Mars
Microgravity
Moon
Rash
Space medicine
Spaceflight
Journal
Life sciences in space research
ISSN: 2214-5532
Titre abrégé: Life Sci Space Res (Amst)
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 101632373
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Feb 2023
Feb 2023
Historique:
received:
17
06
2022
revised:
23
09
2022
accepted:
11
10
2022
entrez:
22
1
2023
pubmed:
23
1
2023
medline:
25
1
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Future planned exploration missions to outer space will almost surely require the longest periods of continuous space exposure by the human body yet. As the most external organ, the skin seems the most vulnerable to injury. Therefore, discussion of the dermatological implications of such extended-duration missions is critical. In order to help future missions understand the risks of spaceflight on the human skin, this review aims to consolidate data from the current literature pertaining to the space environment and its physiologic effects on skin, describe all reported dermatologic manifestations in spaceflight, and extrapolate this information to longer-duration mission. The authors searched PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords and Mesh terms. The publications that were found to be relevant to the objectives were included and described. The space environment causes changes in the skin at the cellular level by thinning the epidermis, altering wound healing, and dysregulating the immune system. Clinically, dermatological conditions represented the most common medical issues occurring in spaceflight. We predict that as exploration missions increase in duration, astronauts will experience further physiological changes and an increased rate and severity of adverse events. Maximizing astronaut safety requires a continued knowledge of the human body's response to space, as well as consideration and prediction of future events. Dermatologic effects of space missions comprise the majority of health-related issues arising on missions to outer space, and these issues are likely to become more prominent with increasing time spent in space. Improvements in hygiene may mitigate some of these conditions.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Future planned exploration missions to outer space will almost surely require the longest periods of continuous space exposure by the human body yet. As the most external organ, the skin seems the most vulnerable to injury. Therefore, discussion of the dermatological implications of such extended-duration missions is critical.
OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVE
In order to help future missions understand the risks of spaceflight on the human skin, this review aims to consolidate data from the current literature pertaining to the space environment and its physiologic effects on skin, describe all reported dermatologic manifestations in spaceflight, and extrapolate this information to longer-duration mission.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
METHODS
The authors searched PubMed and Google Scholar using keywords and Mesh terms. The publications that were found to be relevant to the objectives were included and described.
RESULTS
RESULTS
The space environment causes changes in the skin at the cellular level by thinning the epidermis, altering wound healing, and dysregulating the immune system. Clinically, dermatological conditions represented the most common medical issues occurring in spaceflight. We predict that as exploration missions increase in duration, astronauts will experience further physiological changes and an increased rate and severity of adverse events.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Maximizing astronaut safety requires a continued knowledge of the human body's response to space, as well as consideration and prediction of future events. Dermatologic effects of space missions comprise the majority of health-related issues arising on missions to outer space, and these issues are likely to become more prominent with increasing time spent in space. Improvements in hygiene may mitigate some of these conditions.
Identifiants
pubmed: 36682824
pii: S2214-5524(22)00078-5
doi: 10.1016/j.lssr.2022.10.004
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Review
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
147-156Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.