A Technical Study On The Use of Parachutes

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Winemaker

Sport climber
Yakima, WA
Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 16, 2018 - 09:17am PT
Here is a very interesting technical study on the use of parachutes that will be of use to anyone who uses them for enjoyment or 'safety' while flying.

The study 'Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma when jumping from aircraft: randomized controlled trial' compares the outcome of jumping from a plane or helicopter with either a parachute or an empty backpack and can be found here:

https://www.bmj.com/content/363/bmj.k5094

One conclusion of the study was
Parachute use compared with a backpack control did not reduce death or major traumatic injury when used by participants jumping from aircraft in this first randomized evaluation of the intervention.

Edited to add a comment from the study's discussion section:

Discussion

We have performed the first randomized clinical trial evaluating the efficacy of parachutes for preventing death or major traumatic injury among individuals jumping from aircraft. Our groundbreaking study found no statistically significant difference in the primary outcome between the treatment and control arms. Our findings should give momentary pause to experts who advocate for routine use of parachutes for jumps from aircraft in recreational or military settings.

perswig

climber
Dec 16, 2018 - 09:26am PT
Bwaha!
The def of a 'Hollywood' jump.

Dale
snakefoot

climber
Nor Cal
Dec 16, 2018 - 09:26am PT
this is hilarious. Please, can I be in the control arm with just a back pack?
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Dec 16, 2018 - 09:39am PT
Wow! Thanks for posting this -- you have saved me a boatload of money! I was about to get into skydiving, and now, knowing that I don't have to waste money on expensive parachutes, I can afford lots of really expensive outdoor clothing that will impress people at the airfield.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Dec 16, 2018 - 09:50am PT
And as an added bonus reading a manly thread like this gets you a manly banner ad!
Sula

Trad climber
Pennsylvania
Dec 16, 2018 - 10:27am PT
Right. Another sentence from the Conclusions paragraph:
However, the trial was only able to enroll participants on small stationary aircraft on the ground, suggesting cautious extrapolation to high altitude jumps.

madbolter1

Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
Dec 16, 2018 - 10:43am PT
^^^ Bwahahahahaha

Okay, now I'm so happy, just giggling, frothing, oh so gay HAPPY that I didn't waste my time on that article.

Sigh... but I did on this thread. There's just no winning.
Winemaker

Sport climber
Yakima, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2018 - 10:52am PT
Hey mb, the article is actually quite a hoot; I was laughing my ass off it's so well done. Kudos for the British Medical Journal for their sense of humour!
madbolter1

Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
Dec 16, 2018 - 10:58am PT
Okay, okay. The thread is a hoot, so I guess I'll have to jump right in.
madbolter1

Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
Dec 16, 2018 - 11:17am PT
Agreed, very well done. Rigorous study, the results of which cannot be refuted. As the study says, additional testing in contexts of higher altitude and velocity are needed. But for the context in which the tests were performed, the results seem repeatable and conclusive.

Thank you, Winemaker. This was an eye-opener, and I should not have been so quickly dismissive before reading the actual study. I stand corrected, and I'm big enough to admit it.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Dec 16, 2018 - 11:24am PT
Wait, wasn’t that study released on 1 April?
Winemaker

Sport climber
Yakima, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2018 - 12:21pm PT
mb, you are obviously a gentleman of the highest caliber!!!
Pete_N

Trad climber
Santa Cruz, CA
Dec 16, 2018 - 12:32pm PT
Awesome! So glad to see that science is not dead yet in the US though it must be admitted that the '[World Health Organization’s Registry Network of the International Clinical Trials Registry] declined to register the trial because they thought that “the research question lacks scientific validity” and “the trial data cannot be meaningful.”' And clearly the authors are stand-up scientists: "We appreciated their thorough review (and actually agree with their decision)."
skywalker1

Trad climber
co
Dec 16, 2018 - 01:14pm PT
Rossouw JE, Anderson GL, Prentice RL, et al., Writing Group for the Women’s Health Initiative Investigators. Risks and benefits of estrogen plus progestin in healthy postmenopausal women: principal results From the Women’s Health Initiative randomized controlled trial. JAMA2002;288:321-33. doi:10.1001/jama.288.3.321 pmid:12117397

I like this reference.

S....
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Dec 16, 2018 - 01:21pm PT
^^^^ Did they jump outta da plane, too?
Winemaker

Sport climber
Yakima, WA
Topic Author's Reply - Dec 16, 2018 - 01:46pm PT
My interest was piqued, so I researched a paper footnoted by the authors of the PARACHUTE study:

'Parachute use to prevent death and major trauma related to gravitational challenge: systematic review of randomised controlled trials' (BMJ 2003;327:1459)

and found this interesting discussion

The medicalisation of free fall

It is often said that doctors are interfering monsters obsessed with disease and power, who will not be satisfied until they control every aspect of our lives (Journal of Social Science, pick a volume). It might be argued that the pressure exerted on individuals to use parachutes is yet another example of a natural, life enhancing experience being turned into a situation of fear and dependency. The widespread use of the parachute may just be another example of doctors' obsession with disease prevention and their misplaced belief in unproved technology to provide effective protection against occasional adverse events.
https://www.bmj.com/content/327/7429/1459?ijkey=ac7ca67c7939062bfcb341cd6a77e331231562f9&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

Are doctors doing the same thing with climbing?
madbolter1

Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
Dec 16, 2018 - 03:49pm PT
you are obviously a gentleman of the highest caliber!!!

Thank you kindly, sir. You have helped greatly in recovering my self-image from the depths of embarrassment and despair. I'm definitely not anti-science, and studies like this should enjoy the full respect to which they are entitled!

So many passages could be cited for special attention, but I quickly realized that the whole thing would need to be cited for special attention, which is, in effect, what you accomplish in the OP.

Thank you!
Tom

Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
Dec 16, 2018 - 06:27pm PT
Your studies do not address the psychic trauma suffered by people scourging themselves on the face of El Capitan, who hear the sound of tremendous rockfall, only to learn later that the traumatic sound is not rockfall, but that of a "harmlessly playful and fun-loving" parachutist.

madbolter1

Big Wall climber
Denver, CO
Dec 16, 2018 - 06:51pm PT
So true, Tom. I lost one or two years off my life on RoF from that very thing. And then the guy popped his chute right next to us, about 80 feet away. Sounded like a cannon going off.

But then he lost control and started spiraling down, crashing into the forest. Eventually he staggered out onto the trail, took a few steps, then collapsed. When he didn't move for like five minutes, we finally called it in.

An hour later, Mr. "fun loving" was being stretchered out.
Tom

Big Wall climber
San Luis Obispo CA
Dec 16, 2018 - 06:59pm PT
It is an abomination before God when people scourging themselves on El Capitan are traumatized by BASE jumpers.
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