Procedural Medicine for Spaceflight
- 1st Edition - July 1, 2026
- Latest edition
- Editors: Dana Levin, Tovy Kamine, Michael Pohlen
- Language: English
Procedural Medicine for Spaceflight is a collection of research and experiential data on procedural medicine and the needs of those involved in Space Medicine. Procedural medici… Read more
The book is divided into six sections. Starting with the Introduction, then moving to, Procedural Considerations, Anesthesia and Pain Management; Post Procedure Care; Other Considerations; and concluding with The Future of Procedural Medicine in Space. Each chapter is written by experienced subject matter experts in relevant disciplines. This book is intended for physicians, medical students, engineers, mission planners, and medical researchers interested and/or training in Space Medicine.
• Provides evidence-based instructions for how spaceflight affects minor, major, and invasive medical procedures
• Describes evidence and experience-based modifications that may be needed for each aspect of procedural care in spaceflight
• Outlines the considerations for managing a patient pre- and post-procedure including pain management, rehabilitation, physiological monitoring, and equipment management/use
1. General Considerations of the Environment
2.Systems Medicine and Engineering for Procedural Care
3. General Approach to Procedures in Space
II. Locations, Procedures, and Considerations
4. Vascular Access
5. Hemorrhage Control
6. Resuscitation and Critical Care
7. Irrigation
8. Head and Neck Procedures
9. Ophthalmic Procedures
10. Auricular Procedures
11. Chest Procedures
12. Abdominal Procedures
13. Upper Extremity Procedures
14. Obstetric and Gynecological Procedures
15. Genitourinary Procedures
16. Lower Extremity Procedures
17. Spinal Procedures
18. Dental Procedures
III. Anesthesia and Pain Management
19. Pharmaceutical Considerations
20. Sedation and General Anesthesia
21. Local Anesthesia
22. General Pain Control
IV. Post Procedure Care
23. Recover and Patient Monitoring
24. Rehabilitation
25. Modification of Crew Schedule and Fitness for Duty
V. Other Considerations
26. Sterilization vs. Decontamination
27. Diagnostic Tools
28. Pre-flight Training Curriculum Development for Procedural Skills
29. Procedural Guidance
30. Medical Evacuation
VI. The Future
31. Major Invasive Surgery
32. Clinical Decision Support Systems
33. Space Emergency Medical Services
34. The Far Future
- Edition: 1
- Latest edition
- Published: July 1, 2026
- Language: English
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Dana Levin
Dr. Dana Levin is board certified in Aerospace and Emergency Medicine currently serving as the chief medical officer for Vast Space, a commercial company building artificial gravity space stations, and working clinically with the UC LOS ANGELES and UC IRVINE departments of emergency medicine. Before Vast Dr. Levin was as a physician with NASA’s Human Research Program Exploration Medical Capabilities Element and the assistant fellowship director for the Baylor College of Medicine - Massachusetts General Hospital Space Medicine Fellowship. He has extensive experience with austere environment medicine as the lead physician on scientific diving expeditions, high altitude expeditions, expeditions to Antarctica, and teaching courses in Colorado the deserts of the Western Unites States. As a researcher, Dr. Levin has published numerous papers on medical procedures in space, medical system development, medical risk assessment, and austere environment medical practice. He has also written textbook chapters on systems medicine for spaceflight.
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Tovy Kamine
Dr. Tovy Kamine is a Trauma, Acute Care, and Critical Care Surgeon and Director of Emergency Surgery Services and Informatics Director of Surgical Clinical Documentation Integrity at Baystate Medical Center, and Assistant Professor of Surgery, Healthcare Delivery, and Population Science at the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School-Baystate. He is a Fellow of both the American College of Surgeons and the Aerospace Medical Association. He is also the founder and first president of the Space Surgical Association and past Chair of the Associate Fellows Association of the Aerospace Medical Assocation. He now serves on the Executive Committee of the Space Medicine Association and the Treasurer for the Organization for Space Medicine Engineering and Design. Over the past decade he has published extensively in peer reviewed journals on the challenges, modifications, and necessity of invasive procedures in space flight.
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Michael Pohlen
Dr. Michael Pohlen is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Radiology at the University of California, San Diego. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Geosciences from Texas A&M University. He earned his medical degree with High Honor at Baylor College of Medicine, where he completed the Space Medicine Pathway and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed a residency in Diagnostic Radiology at Stanford University before continuing for completion of a dual fellowship. He has more than 25 research publications and presentations, with work focusing on artificial intelligence applications in thoracic imaging and the adaptation of imaging modalities for human spaceflight. He is a member of the Society of Thoracic Radiology, the American College of Radiology, and The Radiological Society of North America.