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Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Isolation of Human Islets from Partially Pancreatectomized Patients
Published on: July 30, 2011
[Pilots with diabetes mellitus: cleared for take-off?]
E M W Eekhoff1,2, Erik Serné1, Harold W de Valk3
1Amsterdam UMC, afd. Interne Geneeskunde, Amsterdam.
Abstract:
In this issue, we outline the developments that have increasingly enabled people with insulin-dependent diabetes to professionally operate a vehicle. We focus on all professions in passenger transport in the Netherlands, with the pilot as a reference. A protocol has been developed in the UK to enable safe and responsible flying by selected pilots with type 1 diabetes mellitus and insulin dependent type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is used in several countries within and outside Europe, but not yet in the Netherlands. Modern diabetes care, innovative monitoring, good medical supervision and support ensure that patients with insulin-dependent diabetes in the Netherlands can work under certain circumstances as train, ship, tram, metro and bus transporters, but not as a pilot. Based on sufficient data and good arguments, introducing the ''pilot-diabetes'' protocol in the Netherlands would be a good and responsible step forward.
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