Turner Brandon E, Hodkinson Peter D, Timperley Andrew C, Smith Thomas G
Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2015 Jun;86(6):529-34. doi: 10.3357/AMHP.4177.2015.
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.
We studied 16 healthy volunteers, consisting of a younger group (aged <25 yr) and an older 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.
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.
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.
航空旅行期间，低氧诱导的肺动脉压力升高可能是全球范围内飞行中医疗紧急情况负担的一个因素。老年乘客的肺动脉压力反应可能更大，他们因医疗事件更有可能需要飞机改道。了解这些影响最终可能会提高航空旅行的安全性。
我们研究了16名健康志愿者，分为较年轻组（年龄<25岁）和较年长组（年龄>60岁）。使用低压舱，受试者在商业航空公司航班的最大客舱压力高度（8000英尺；2438米）进行了2小时的模拟飞行。还探索了航空医疗范围内的更高和更低高度。通过多普勒超声心动图评估收缩期肺动脉压（sPAP）。
sPAP呈渐进性增加，似乎呈双相性，最初有小幅增加，随后有较大幅度上升。总体而言，sPAP从基线时的水平在8000英尺处增加了5±1 mmHg，达到35±1 mmHg，增加了18%。老年组对8000英尺高度的sPAP反应大于年轻组。
本研究证实了模拟航空旅行期间肺动脉压力会升高，并提供了初步证据表明老年人的这种反应更大。年龄增长可能会增加乘客、机组人员和航空医疗患者飞行中发生不良肺血管反应的易感性。
