Infectious Diseases and the Use of Antimicrobials on Space Missions
Introduction: Exposure of the human body to the aerospace environment is capable of producing various physiological changes, which contributes to greater susceptibility of acquiring viral and/or bacterial infections. Objective: To review studies on the use of antimicrobials in space to provide up-to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Space: Science & Technology |
| Online Access: | https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/space.0205 |
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| author | Alice R. C. e Castro-Costa Rodrigo Siqueira-Batista Fabíola A. Alcântara Thaís Russomano Marlise A. Santos Isadora de C. e Silva Oswaldo M. Del Cima |
| author_facet | Alice R. C. e Castro-Costa Rodrigo Siqueira-Batista Fabíola A. Alcântara Thaís Russomano Marlise A. Santos Isadora de C. e Silva Oswaldo M. Del Cima |
| author_sort | Alice R. C. e Castro-Costa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Exposure of the human body to the aerospace environment is capable of producing various physiological changes, which contributes to greater susceptibility of acquiring viral and/or bacterial infections. Objective: To review studies on the use of antimicrobials in space to provide up-to-date information on the treatment of infectious diseases and contribute to the safety and well-being of astronauts on space voyages. Method: Integrative literature review, using DeCS (https://decs.bvsalud.org/) and PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). Results and Discussion: Prolonged exposure to microgravity, radiation, and confinement can potentially affect the dynamics of interactions between microorganisms and Homo sapiens, causing astronauts to be more susceptible to infections in the aerospace environment. This context becomes more complex when we consider the greater possibility of drug-resistant bacterial strains emerging—due to radiation-related mutations—and the conditions that affect antimicrobial stability, especially excessive vibrations, a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere, and variations in humidity temperature fluctuations. Additionally, physiological changes experienced by humans in the extraterrestrial environment—e.g., cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal—can alter the pharmacokinetics of antimicrobials. Conclusion: Understanding the context in which astronauts are inserted, the risks involved, and how to avoid theses is essential for ensuring the safety and continuity of space missions with regards to diseases and the use of antimicrobials, which will allow humanity in space to have a “long and prosperous life”. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-66ecd2112edb4fdb8bdc01dbe4bd7905 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2692-7659 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Space: Science & Technology |
| spelling | doaj-art-66ecd2112edb4fdb8bdc01dbe4bd79052025-08-20T02:57:18ZengAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Space: Science & Technology2692-76592024-01-01410.34133/space.0205Infectious Diseases and the Use of Antimicrobials on Space MissionsAlice R. C. e Castro-Costa0Rodrigo Siqueira-Batista1Fabíola A. Alcântara2Thaís Russomano3Marlise A. Santos4Isadora de C. e Silva5Oswaldo M. Del Cima6Department of Medicine and Nursing and Scientific Diving Unit, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.Department of Medicine and Nursing and Scientific Diving Unit, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.Department of Medicine and Nursing and Scientific Diving Unit, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.Space & Extreme Environment Research Center, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.Space & Extreme Environment Research Center, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.Department of Medicine and Nursing and Scientific Diving Unit, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, Brazil.Space & Extreme Environment Research Center, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.Introduction: Exposure of the human body to the aerospace environment is capable of producing various physiological changes, which contributes to greater susceptibility of acquiring viral and/or bacterial infections. Objective: To review studies on the use of antimicrobials in space to provide up-to-date information on the treatment of infectious diseases and contribute to the safety and well-being of astronauts on space voyages. Method: Integrative literature review, using DeCS (https://decs.bvsalud.org/) and PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). Results and Discussion: Prolonged exposure to microgravity, radiation, and confinement can potentially affect the dynamics of interactions between microorganisms and Homo sapiens, causing astronauts to be more susceptible to infections in the aerospace environment. This context becomes more complex when we consider the greater possibility of drug-resistant bacterial strains emerging—due to radiation-related mutations—and the conditions that affect antimicrobial stability, especially excessive vibrations, a carbon dioxide-rich atmosphere, and variations in humidity temperature fluctuations. Additionally, physiological changes experienced by humans in the extraterrestrial environment—e.g., cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal—can alter the pharmacokinetics of antimicrobials. Conclusion: Understanding the context in which astronauts are inserted, the risks involved, and how to avoid theses is essential for ensuring the safety and continuity of space missions with regards to diseases and the use of antimicrobials, which will allow humanity in space to have a “long and prosperous life”.https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/space.0205 |
| spellingShingle | Alice R. C. e Castro-Costa Rodrigo Siqueira-Batista Fabíola A. Alcântara Thaís Russomano Marlise A. Santos Isadora de C. e Silva Oswaldo M. Del Cima Infectious Diseases and the Use of Antimicrobials on Space Missions Space: Science & Technology |
| title | Infectious Diseases and the Use of Antimicrobials on Space Missions |
| title_full | Infectious Diseases and the Use of Antimicrobials on Space Missions |
| title_fullStr | Infectious Diseases and the Use of Antimicrobials on Space Missions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Infectious Diseases and the Use of Antimicrobials on Space Missions |
| title_short | Infectious Diseases and the Use of Antimicrobials on Space Missions |
| title_sort | infectious diseases and the use of antimicrobials on space missions |
| url | https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/space.0205 |
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