USA Today Turns the Spotlight on Oxygen and Air Travel

August 2, 2006

Readers who opened the Money section of USA Today on August 2 were greeted by an informative article on the use of medical oxygen onboard commercial airliners.

The story, which quotes AARC member Lana Hilling, RRT, along with many other representatives of the medical and oxygen delivery community, provides an overview of the types of oxygen that can be used on flights—including portable oxygen concentrators, which were approved for use on commercial flights last year after extensive lobbying on the part of the AARC and other groups and organizations involved in oxygen delivery.

The story also points out some of the medical issues involved in traveling with oxygen—and with a pulmonary disease in general—noting aircraft cabins are pressurized to an altitude of 8,000 feet, which could cause problems for some patients. More than 2,700 calls for emergency assistance during flights were made last year for patients in respiratory distress, writes the author, and 62 planes were forced to land due to a respiratory emergency.

The information on respiratory problems during flight may help inform RTs of the risks involved in traveling by air so they can better educate their patients and help them make appropriate decisions regarding airline travel.

The article ends with a great chart of airline policies on medical oxygen that outlines which airlines allow which devices and the extra costs associated with some of the services. RTs may find the chart helpful in informing their oxygen patients who would like to fly about airline policies and procedures on medical oxygen.

Read the entire article at usatoday.com.

This page is located at: http://www.aarc.org/headlines/usa_today080206.cfm