Pulmonary artery pressure response to simulated air travel in a hypobaric chamber
BE Turner, PD Hodkinson… - … Medicine and Human …, 2015 - ingentaconnect.com
BE Turner, PD Hodkinson, AC Timperley, TG Smith
Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance, 2015•ingentaconnect.comBACKGROUND: Hypoxia-induced elevation in pulmonary artery pressure during air travel
may contribute to the worldwide burden of in-flight medical emergencies. The pulmonary
artery pressure response may be greater in older passengers, who are more likely to require
flight diversion due to a medical event. Understanding these effects may ultimately improve
the safety of air travel. METHODS: We studied 16 healthy volunteers, consisting of a younger
group (aged 60 yr). Using a hypobaric chamber, subjects undertook a 2-h simulated flight at …
may contribute to the worldwide burden of in-flight medical emergencies. The pulmonary
artery pressure response may be greater in older passengers, who are more likely to require
flight diversion due to a medical event. Understanding these effects may ultimately improve
the safety of air travel. METHODS: We studied 16 healthy volunteers, consisting of a younger
group (aged 60 yr). Using a hypobaric chamber, subjects undertook a 2-h simulated flight at …
BACKGROUND
Hypoxia-induced elevation in pulmonary artery pressure during air travel may contribute to the worldwide burden of in-flight medical emergencies. The pulmonary artery pressure response may be greater in older passengers, who are more likely to require flight diversion due to a medical event. Understanding these effects may ultimately improve the safety of air travel.
METHODS
We studied 16 healthy volunteers, consisting of a younger group (aged 60 yr). Using a hypobaric chamber, subjects undertook a 2-h simulated flight at the maximum cabin pressure altitude for commercial airline flights (8000 ft; 2438 m). Higher and lower altitudes within the aeromedical range were also explored. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP) was assessed by Doppler echocardiography.
RESULTS
There was a progressive increase in sPAP which appeared to be biphasic, with a small initial increase and a larger subsequent rise. Overall, sPAP increased by 5 ± 1 mmHg from baseline to 35 ± 1 mmHg at 8000 ft, an increase of 18%. The sPAP response to 8000 ft was greater in the older group than the younger group.
CONCLUSIONS
This study confirms that pulmonary artery pressure increases during simulated air travel, and provides preliminary evidence that this response is greater in older people. Advancing age may increase in-flight susceptibility to adverse pulmonary vascular responses in passengers, aircrew, and aeromedical patients.Turner BE, Hodkinson PD, Timperley AC, Smith TG. Pulmonary artery pressure response to simulated air travel in a hypobaric chamber. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2015; 86(6):529–534.
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