Is this baby fit to fly? Hypoxia in aeroplanes.
During air flight, cabin pressurisation results in a reduced fraction of inspired oxygen to 0.15. Healthy children desaturate by around 4% and remain asymptomatic. However children under the age of 1 year are more susceptible to hypoxia, especially if they were born preterm, and even more so if they are survivors of chronic neonatal lung disease. Pre-flight testing with a 'fitness to fly' test is available in some tertiary respiratory centres. The British Thoracic Society 2004 guideline currently recommends supplemental oxygen be given if the child's oxygen saturation falls below 90% during the test, although 85% may be a more appropriate cut off level.
Bossley
Cara
C
Department of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK.
Balfour-Lynn
Ian M
IM
D000401:Aircraft; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia; D007223:Infant