IF YOU THINK THAT YOU HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO
OIL SMOKE/FUMES ON AN AIRCRAFT, THIS IS HOW YOU
If you do not live or plan to be in the
1.
Take a copy of this request letter
to your doctor to get him/her to write an order for the blood draw. If you have
difficulty arranging a blood draw, call or email AFA’s Judith Murawski for other advice.
2.
Take the blood draw order from the doctor and the blood draw
instructions to your local blood draw lab. Make
sure that the lab prepares and ships two vials of your blood products – one
vial of plasma and one vial of red blood cells. Some labs are only sending the
plasma, but they need to send both.
3.
Sign the consent form and fill out this two-page questionnaire
about what happened during your flight to put your blood sample in context.
Make a copy of each form for your records.
4.
Mail or fax the signed consent form and the completed
questionnaire to Rebecca Richter at UW (rrichter@u.washington.edu or fax:
Your medical insurance may or
may not pay for the blood draw, but the blood analysis is free. You will need
to pay for the overnight courier service to have the sample transported to
Prof. Furlong’s lab. Do not ship your sample on a Friday or Saturday. There
will be some delay in analysis, but his lab will notify you of the result.
Prof. Clem
Furlong and his research team at the University of Washington (UW) in Seattle,
WA is developing blood tests to identify whether a person has been exposed to
aviation engine oil by looking for evidence of particular oil additives
(tricresylphosphates, or TCPs) in the blood. To have your blood analyzed, you need to get
your blood drawn within three months of exposure to oil fumes, and preferably
within a week. If
you live or plan to be in the
We encourage you to learn more
about Prof. Furlong’s research project. Crewmember unions or other
organizations may wish to make a donation to his research. Every penny helps. You can email AFA with any questions, or email Prof. Furlong directly.