extrasystole (extra heart beat)
 

Hi there,

I am a dual FAA/JAA ATPL pliot.
I currently fly for a U.S carrier but consider switching to a EU company.

For a few years now I had this skipped beat or extra beat thing that never came up during a flight physical.

During my last JAR medical renewal it did show up and the lady doctor said I have something called extra-systole.

She ended up passing me but had to wait for a while till she could get a long enough ECG signal without it.

I feel I got lucky this time and that I might not be so lucky next time.

I know JAR requirements are more restrictive than FAA.

I do excersize, drink very little coffee and don't smoke.

Can one still hold a class one JAA medical with such a condition?

Thanks a bunch,

Premature ventricular contractions occur even in people who are in perfect health. As long as they are infrequent and asymptomatic and do not occur in someone who already has some type of heart disease, they are not a cause for concern.

Your doctor wanted the extra-long ECG just to make sure that the PVC was an isolated occurrence. Nothing more needs to be done.

PVCs become somewhat more common with age, even in healthy people, but since they are too infrequent to affect heart function or circulation, they still are not a problem.

On the other hand, if you had a history of heart attack or something, then the PVCs would have to be closely monitored.

Hello flexi_time,

I have the same condition. It went unnoticed during some previous examinations. As far as I know and where JAA is concerned, it shouldn't be a problem.

Some JAA doctors only make note of it while others want to know more before they will sign the certificate request form. The latter happened to me 2 years ago. Only thing I had to do at that time was to get a fitness test done in a hospital and show the JAA doc the results. ( the condition disappeared when doing some exercise).

I was going to suggest a brisk walk before future medicals. I can have it, but associated with a slow resting pulse. So long as my pulse is elevated to normal levels there is no issue.