title: The effect of high altitude commercial air travel on oxygen saturation.
abstract: Air travel has increased steadily over the last decade, and its effect on the health of passengers has been the subject of much debate. There is a paucity of evidence on the effects of air travel on oxygen saturation in general populations. The peripheral oxygen saturation and pulse rate of 84 passengers, aged 1-78 years, were measured by pulse oximetry at round level and altitude during air travel. There was a statistically significant reduction in oxygen saturation in all passengers travelling long haul and short haul flights (p < 0.05). The mean [range] (SD) SpO(2) for all flights at ground level was 97% [93-100] (1.33) and at cruising altitude 93% [85-98] (2.33). Fifty-four per cent of passengers had SpO(2) values of 94% or less at cruising altitude. This is a value which may prompt physicians to administer supplemental oxygen in hospital patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthetics, The Royal Group of Hospitals, Belfast, N. Ireland, BT12 6BA. tsgrice@aol.com <tsgrice@aol.com>
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Humphreys
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Deyermond
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bali
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stevenson
authors.forename: J P H
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Fee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000531:Altitude; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology*; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D010092:Oximetry; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010313:Partial Pressure; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen