New BTS Clinical Statement on air travel for passengers with respiratory disease

The new BTS Clinical Statement on air travel for passengers with respiratory disease is now available on the pages of Thorax and on the BTS website. BTS Clinical Statements provide a snapshot of knowledge and best practice in a topical clinical area, and series of clinical practice points.

This latest Clinical Statement is an update of the previous BTS recommendations for managing passengers with stable respiratory disease that were published in 2011. Several developments have taken place in this area in the past decade, requiring a new look at the advice for healthcare professionals in primary and secondary care managing people with respiratory disease that are planning to travel by air.

The three main areas that the Clinical Statement looks at are the techniques available to predict hypoxaemia (a lower than normal arterial blood oxygen level) during flight, the different response of different respiratory conditions to altitude, and the logistics of travelling with equipment such as oxygen concentrators.

Dr Robina Coker, Chair of the Clinical Statement group, said.

“Travelling at high altitude can exacerbate pre-existing conditions and put a patient at increased risk. A respiratory emergency in flight causes distress to the patient but can also cause disruption for the airline.

“However, respiratory conditions can already be life-limiting, and we should like to prevent them imposing further unnecessary restrictions on the enjoyment of everyday life. When it is safe and practical, people with lung disease should be able access air travel.

“It was with this in mind that our group set out to work on this document, and we hope it will be helpful to patients, carers, and healthcare professionals alike.”

An interview with Dr Coker on the Clinical Statement is available in Respiratory Futures.