COPD patients' pre-flight check: A narrative review.
Monaldi Arch Chest Dis
; 92(4)2022 Mar 14.
Article
de En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-35293198
ABSTRACT
For most of the people with stable and well-controlled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), air travel is safe and comfortable, but the flight environment may pose clinical challenges. This narrative review aims to update the requirements for allowance to fly of people with COPD without chronic respiratory failure. A literature review was performed on platforms Pubmed, Scopus and Ovid, for citations in English from 2000 to 2021. The following key words were used COPD AND air-travel, in-flight hypoxemia, fitness to air travel. Official regulatory documents and guidelines were also examined. Current air travel statements recommend supplemental oxygen when in flight arterial oxygen tension (PaO2) is expected to fall below 6.6 or 7.3 kPa. Several lung function variables, prediction equations and algorithms have been proposed to estimate in-flight PaO2, the need for in-flight supplemental oxygen, and to select individuals needing more advanced pre-flight testing, such as the hypoxia-altitude simulation test. Exercise induced desaturation and aerobic capacity correlate significantly with in-flight PaO2. COPD patients with late intensification of disease, new changes in medications, recent acute exacerbation/ hospitalization or anticipated emotional and physical stress during the proposed air-travel should be carefully evaluated by the caring family or specialist physician.
Texte intégral:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Base de données:
MEDLINE
Sujet principal:
Médecine aérospatiale
/
Broncho-pneumopathie chronique obstructive
Type d'étude:
Guideline
/
Prognostic_studies
Limites:
Humans
Langue:
En
Journal:
Monaldi Arch Chest Dis
Année:
2022
Type de document:
Article