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Article: Air travel following traumatic pneumothorax: When is it safe?
- Article from:
- The American Surgeon
- Article date:
- December 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright The Southeastern Surgical Congress Dec 1999. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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The safety of air travel for patients sustaining a recent traumatic pneumothorax has long been a subject of debate. The Aerospace Medicine Association has suggested that patients should be able to fly 2 to 3 weeks after radiographic resolution of their pneumothorax. To validate these recommendations, a prospective study was performed. Twelve consecutive patients with recent traumatic pneumothorax expressing a desire to travel by commercial airline were evaluated. Ten patients waited at least 14 days after radiographic resolution of their pneumothorax before air travel (mean, 17.5 +/- 4.9 days), and all were asymptomatic in-flight. One of two patients who flew earlier than 14 days developed ...