title: Commercial air travel after pneumothorax: a review of the literature.
abstract: Because of the physiological stresses of commercial air travel, the presence of a pneumothorax has long been felt to be an absolute contraindication to flight. Additionally, most medical societies recommend that patients wait at least 2 weeks after radiographic resolution of the pneumothorax before they attempt to travel in a nonurgent fashion via commercial air transport. This review sought to survey the current body of literature on this topic to determine if a medical consensus exists; furthermore, this review considered the scientific support, if any, supporting these recommendations. In this review, we found a paucity of data on the issue and noted only a handful of prospective and retrospective studies; thus, true evidence-based recommendations are difficult to develop at this time. We have made recommendations, when possible, addressing the nonurgent commercial air travel for the patient with a recent pneumothorax. However, more scientific research is necessary in order to reach an evidence-based conclusion on pneumothoraces and flying.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bunch
authors.forename: François-Xavier
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Duchateau
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Verner
authors.forename: Jonathon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Truwit
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brady
mesh_terms: D064870:Air Travel; D006801:Humans; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic