BTS STATEMENT

Managing passengers with respiratory disease planning air travel: British Thoracic Society recommendations

British Thoracic Society Standards of Care Committee

Air Travel Working Party: Dr R K Coker (chair), Dr D A R Boldy, Dr R Buchdahl, Mr D Cramer, Professor D Denison, Wing Commander D P Gradwell, Professor J M B Hughes, Dr J A Innes, Dr A O C Johnson, Dr K P McKinlay, Dr M R Partridge

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr R Coker, Department of Respiratory Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, Du Cane Road, London W12 0HS, UK;
robina.coker@ic.ac.uk

Keywords: British Thoracic Society; air travel; guideline

Air travel is now a common mode of travel for millions, with a single UK airline carrying over 33 million passengers annually. It is estimated that over one billion passengers travel by air worldwide each year, and for the majority this is without hazard.

Despite current uncertainties about the future of the airline industry, it seems likely that air travel will continue to offer a convenient form of transport for many. In the longer term passenger numbers may therefore increase further. Given the rising age of western populations, the age of air travellers is also likely to increase, with greater propensity for medical impairment. Over 25 years ago it was already estimated that 5% of commercial airline passengers were ambulatory patients with some illness including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).¹

There are still no established methods for quantifying the risk of in-flight medical problems. However, a North American service offering . . . [Full text of this article]

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Carvalho, A.-M., Poirier, V. (2009). So you think you can fly?: Determining if your emergency department patient is fit for air travel. cfp 55: 992-995 [Full Text]  
• Baumann, M. H. (2009). Pneumothorax and Air Travel: Lessons Learned From a Bag of Chips. Chest 136: 655-656 [Full Text]  
• Taveira-DaSilva, A. M., Burstein, D., Hathaway, O. M., Fontana, J. R., Gochuico, B. R., Avila, N. A., Moss, J. (2009). Pneumothorax After Air Travel in Lymphangioleiomyomatosis, Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, and Sarcoidosis. Chest 136: 665-670 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Balfour-Lynn, I M, Field, D J, Gringras, P, Hicks, B, Jardine, E, Jones, R C, Magee, A G, Primhak, R A, Samuels, M P, Shaw, N J, Stevens, S, Sullivan, C, Taylor, J A, Wallis, C, on behalf of the Paediatric Section of the Home Ox, (2009). BTS guidelines for home oxygen in children. Thorax 64: ii1-ii26 [Full Text]  
• Scrase, E, Laverty, A, Gavlak, J C D, Sonnappa, S, Levett, D Z H, Martin, D, Grocott, M P W, Stocks, J (2009). The Young Everest Study: effects of hypoxia at high altitude on cardiorespiratory function and general well-being in healthy children. Arch. Dis. Child. 94: 621-626 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mestry, N, Thirumaran, M, Tuggey, J M, Macdonald, W, Elliott, M W (2009). Hypoxic challenge flight assessments in patients with severe chest wall deformity or neuromuscular disease at risk for nocturnal hypoventilation. Thorax 64: 532-534 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gupta, A., Stocks, J., Jones, G. (2009). Evaluation of Patients Prior to Air Travel. Chest 135: 882-883 [Full Text]  
• Aksenov, I., Strauss, M. (2009). Diseases Related to High Altitude and Diving and Near-Drowning: Basics of Hyperbaric Medicine. ACCP Pulmonary Med Brd Rev 25: 729-740 [Full Text]  
• Coker, R. K., Shiner, R., Partridge, M. R. (2008). Is air travel safe for those with lung disease?. Eur Respir J 32: 1423-1424 [Full Text]  
• Geertsema, C, Williams, A B, Dzendrowskyj, P, Hanna, C (2008). Effect of commercial airline travel on oxygen saturation in athletes. Br. J. Sports. Med. 42: 877-881 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Marchand, E. (2008). Is air travel safe for those with lung disease?. Eur Respir J 31: 1137-1138 [Full Text]  
• Resnick, S. M., Hall, G. L., Simmer, K. N., Stick, S. M., Sharp, M. J. (2008). The Hypoxia Challenge Test Does Not Accurately Predict Hypoxia in Flight in Ex-Preterm Neonates. Chest 133: 1161-1166 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Mohr, L. C. (2008). The Hypoxia Altitude Simulation Test: An Increasingly Performed Test for the Evaluation of Patients Prior to Air Travel. Chest 133: 839-842 [Full Text]  
• Dine, C. J., Kreider, M. E. (2008). Hypoxia Altitude Simulation Test. Chest 133: 1002-1005 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Martin, A. C., Verheggen, M., Stick, S. M., Stavreska, V., Oostryck, J., Wilson, A. C., Hall, G. L. (2008). Definition of Cutoff Values for the Hypoxia Test Used for Preflight Testing in Young Children With Neonatal Chronic Lung Disease. Chest 133: 914-919 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kelly, P. T., Swanney, M. P., Seccombe, L. M., Frampton, C., Peters, M. J., Beckert, L. (2008). Air Travel Hypoxemia vs the Hypoxia Inhalation Test in Passengers With COPD. Chest 133: 920-926 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Coker, R. K., Shiner, R. J., Partridge, M. R. (2007). Is air travel safe for those with lung disease?. Eur Respir J 30: 1057-1063 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hughes, J.M.B. (2007). Review Series: Lung function made easy: Assessing gas exchange. Chronic Respiratory Disease 4: 205-214 [Abstract]  
• Hall, G L, Verheggen, M, Stick, S M (2007). Assessing fitness to fly in young infants and children. Thorax 62: 278-279 [Full Text]  
• Currie, G. P, Kennedy, A.-M., Paterson, E., Watt, S. J (2007). A chronic pneumothorax and fitness to fly. Thorax 62: 187-189 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pollock-BarZiv, S., Cohen, M. M, Downey, G. P, Johnson, S. R, Sullivan, E., McCormack, F. X (2007). Air travel in women with lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Thorax 62: 176-180 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Teichman, P. G., Donchin, Y., Kot, R. J. (2007). International Aeromedical Evacuation. NEJM 356: 262-270 [Full Text]  
• Almeida, F. A., DeSouza, B. X., Meyer, T., Gregory, S., Greenspon, L. (2006). Intrapulmonary bronchogenic cyst and cerebral gas embolism in an aircraft flight passenger.. Chest 130: 575-577 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Currie, G. P, Douglas, J G. (2006). Oxygen and inhalers.. BMJ 333: 34-36 [Full Text]  
• Coker, R. K (2006). Travelling with lung disease. Chronic Respiratory Disease 3: 63-64  
• Udomittipong, K, Stick, S M, Verheggen, M, Oostryck, J, Sly, P D, Hall, G L (2006). Pre-flight testing of preterm infants with neonatal lung disease: a retrospective review. Thorax 61: 343-347 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• (2005). Poster presentations. Thorax 60: ii53-ii120 [Full Text]  
• Urquhart, D S, Montgomery, H, Jaffe, A (2005). Assessment of hypoxia in children with cystic fibrosis. Arch. Dis. Child. 90: 1138-1143 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wedzicha, J A, Johnston, S L, Mitchell, D M (2005). Journal impact factors for 2004: another rise for Thorax. Thorax 60: 712-712 [Full Text]  
• Fischer, R., Lang, S. M., Bruckner, K., Hoyer, H-X., Meyer, S., Griese, M., Huber, R. M. (2005). Lung function in adults with cystic fibrosis at altitude: impact on air travel. Eur Respir J 25: 718-724 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Akero, A., Christensen, C. C., Edvardsen, A., Skjonsberg, O. H. (2005). Hypoxaemia in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients during a commercial flight. Eur Respir J 25: 725-730 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Coker, R K, Partridge, M R (2004). What happens to patients with respiratory disease when they fly?. Thorax 59: 919-920 [Full Text]  
• Seccombe, L M, Kelly, P T, Wong, C K, Rogers, P G, Lim, S, Peters, M J (2004). Effect of simulated commercial flight on oxygenation in patients with interstitial lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Thorax 59: 966-970 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Buchdahl, R, Bush, A, Ward, S, Cramer, D (2004). Pre-flight hypoxic challenge in infants and young children with respiratory disease. Thorax 59: 1000-1000 [Full Text]  
• Wedzicha, J A, Johnston, S L, Mitchell, D M (2004). Journal impact factors for 2003: Thorax increases. Thorax 59: 736-736 [Full Text]  
• Samuels, M P (2004). The effects of flight and altitude. Arch. Dis. Child. 89: 448-455 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wedzicha, J A (2004). Peer review and NICE COPD guidelines. Thorax 59: 183-183 [Full Text]  
• Wedzicha, J A, Johnston, S L, Mitchell, D M (2003). Annual report October 2002 to September 2003. Thorax 58: 1015-1017 [Full Text]  
• Johnson, A O C (2003). Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease * 11: Fitness to fly with COPD. Thorax 58: 729-732 [Full Text]  
• Packham, S, Jaiswal, P (2003). Spontaneous pneumothorax: use of aspiration and outcomes of management by respiratory and general physicians. Postgrad. Med. J. 79: 345-347 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Henry, M, Arnold, T, Harvey, J (2003). BTS guidelines for the management of spontaneous pneumothorax. Thorax 58: ii39-52 [Full Text]  
• Campbell, C, Rayner, C F J, Coker, R K (2003). Guidelines on prevention of venous thromboembolism during long haul flights. Thorax 58: 91-92 [Full Text]  
• Morgan, M. D L (2002). Air travel and respiratory disease. BMJ 325: 1186-1187 [Full Text]