Source: Annual Congress 2002 - High altitude and hypoxia

Abstract

Introduction- During commercial flights aircraft cabin partial oxygen pressure falls considerably as compared with sea level. Simulated air travel has shown little impact in healthy subjects. Real flight effects on oxygenation has not been clarified yet.
Aim-Evaluate transcutaneous oxygen saturation (Sa02) during commercial flights in healthy individuals, comparing both long distance (LF) and short distance flights (SF).
Materials and methods-Continuous pulse oximetry was performed in normal adults (Minolta, Pulsox 3i) during 20 commercial LF and 18 SF
Results- Comparing mean Sa02 (MSa02), lower Sa02 (LoSa02), time spent under 90% Sa02 (T90) and 4% dips/hour (4D) between LF and SF, we observed statistically significant differences in all parameters (Table).

	MSa02	LoSa02	T90	4D
LF	95±] 0.8	85.5±] 5.3	0.7±] 0.9	3.1±] 3
SF	96.2±] 1.3	93±] 2.7	0±] 0	0.4±] 0.8
Wilcoxon	p=0.017	p=0.000	p=0.000	p=0.000

Conclusions: Significant decline in Sa02 and repetitive 4% dessaturations are observed in normals specially during LF. Although these values seem to be well tolerated in normals similar studies are needed to assure the effects of real flights in patients with respiratory failure.

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Citations should be made in the following way:
J. C. Winck, M. Drummond, A. Morais, J. Almeida, J. Marques (Porto, Portugal). In-flight oxygen desaturation in healthy subjects-evaluation by pulse oximetry. Eur Respir J 2002; 20: Suppl. 38, 688

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