Evaluating hypoxia during air travel in healthy infants
Up to a third of ex-preterm infants flying near term exhibit pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) of less than 85% during air travel. A hypoxia challenge test (HCT) is recommended to evaluate the requirement for in-flight supplemental O2. The validity of the HCT in healthy, term infants has not been repor...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
BMJ Group
2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/54702 |
| _version_ | 1848759437569818624 |
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| author | Khanna, M. Shackleton, C. Verheggen, M. Sharp, M. Wilson, A. Hall, Graham |
| author_facet | Khanna, M. Shackleton, C. Verheggen, M. Sharp, M. Wilson, A. Hall, Graham |
| author_sort | Khanna, M. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Up to a third of ex-preterm infants flying near term exhibit pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) of less than 85% during air travel. A hypoxia challenge test (HCT) is recommended to evaluate the requirement for in-flight supplemental O2. The validity of the HCT in healthy, term infants has not been reported. This study aimed to characterise the in-flight hypoxia response and the accuracy of the HCT to predict this response in healthy, term infants in the first year of life. Infants (n=24: (15 male)) underwent a HCT prior to commercial air travel during which parents monitored SpO2. Thirty-two flights were undertaken with six infants completing multiple flights. The median in-flight SpO2 nadir was 87% and significantly lower than the HCT SpO2 nadir (92%: p<0.001). Infants on seven flights recorded SpO2<85% with one infant recording a HCT with a SpO2 less than 85%. There was marked variability in the in-flight SpO2 in the six infants who undertook multiple flights, and for three of these infants, the SpO2 nadir was both above and below 85%. We report that in healthy term infants an in-flight SpO2 below 85% is common and can vary considerably between flights and that the HCT poorly predicts the risk of in-flight hypoxia (SpO2<85%). As it is common for healthy term infants to have SpO2 less than 85% during air travel further research is needed to clarify whether this is an appropriate cut-off in this age group. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:59:52Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-54702 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T09:59:52Z |
| publishDate | 2013 |
| publisher | BMJ Group |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-547022017-09-13T16:11:44Z Evaluating hypoxia during air travel in healthy infants Khanna, M. Shackleton, C. Verheggen, M. Sharp, M. Wilson, A. Hall, Graham Up to a third of ex-preterm infants flying near term exhibit pulse oxygen saturation (SpO2) of less than 85% during air travel. A hypoxia challenge test (HCT) is recommended to evaluate the requirement for in-flight supplemental O2. The validity of the HCT in healthy, term infants has not been reported. This study aimed to characterise the in-flight hypoxia response and the accuracy of the HCT to predict this response in healthy, term infants in the first year of life. Infants (n=24: (15 male)) underwent a HCT prior to commercial air travel during which parents monitored SpO2. Thirty-two flights were undertaken with six infants completing multiple flights. The median in-flight SpO2 nadir was 87% and significantly lower than the HCT SpO2 nadir (92%: p<0.001). Infants on seven flights recorded SpO2<85% with one infant recording a HCT with a SpO2 less than 85%. There was marked variability in the in-flight SpO2 in the six infants who undertook multiple flights, and for three of these infants, the SpO2 nadir was both above and below 85%. We report that in healthy term infants an in-flight SpO2 below 85% is common and can vary considerably between flights and that the HCT poorly predicts the risk of in-flight hypoxia (SpO2<85%). As it is common for healthy term infants to have SpO2 less than 85% during air travel further research is needed to clarify whether this is an appropriate cut-off in this age group. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/54702 10.1136/thoraxjnl-2013-203905 BMJ Group unknown |
| spellingShingle | Khanna, M. Shackleton, C. Verheggen, M. Sharp, M. Wilson, A. Hall, Graham Evaluating hypoxia during air travel in healthy infants |
| title | Evaluating hypoxia during air travel in healthy infants |
| title_full | Evaluating hypoxia during air travel in healthy infants |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating hypoxia during air travel in healthy infants |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating hypoxia during air travel in healthy infants |
| title_short | Evaluating hypoxia during air travel in healthy infants |
| title_sort | evaluating hypoxia during air travel in healthy infants |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/54702 |