title: Air travel after biopsy-related pneumothorax: is it safe to fly?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the safety of air travel after percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy (PTNB).
  
  
  METHODS
  The study population included 179 patients who underwent 183 PTNBs followed by air travel within 14 days of the procedure. Patients were contacted after their flight and asked to complete a brief telephone survey that assessed for the development of respiratory symptoms during air travel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No patient reported experiencing an in-flight medical event that required emergent, in-flight medical attention or flight diversion. Postbiopsy pneumothorax developed in 65 patients. Of patients with postbiopsy pneumothorax, including patients with radiographic evidence of residual pneumothorax, 50 (77%) traveled within 4 days of the final postbiopsy chest radiograph. Worsening of existing respiratory symptoms or the development of new respiratory symptoms during or after the flight was reported in 14 of 183 patients (8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows that air travel after biopsy-related pneumothorax can occur safely before radiographic resolution of pneumothorax and as soon as 24 hours after PTNB.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Section of Interventional Radiology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Houston, TX 77030-4009, USA. alda.tam@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Alda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Prachee
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Joe E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Ensor
authors.forename: Kristina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Edward S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Marshall E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000401:Aircraft; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015641:Radiography, Interventional / Q000379:methods; D012119:Respiration; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013781:Texas; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014195:Travel; D055815:Young Adult