Heart attack patients can fly in 2 weeks
08 March 2002
People who have had a heart attack may be able to travel by plane 2 weeks later without a medical escort or oxygen provided they do not overexert themselves before or after the flight.
In the first study of its kind, Australian researchers have challenged American Medical Association standards that ban air travel until 4 weeks after a myocardial infarction.
'Most problems occur because people don't get a good night's sleep before they travel, because they carry a heavy suitcase from the bus stop to check-in, and because they have a long walk through to the departure area,' lead author Dr Roby Howard said.
'All international airports, by law, have to provide wheelchair and porter assistance — we simply feel it is appropriate that people with this condition make use of these facilities.'
Dr Roby, who is medical director of Customer Care Medical Assistance, an organisation that provides medical assistance to the travel insurance industry, said there were no official Australian guidelines on the safety of air travel after heart trauma. For example, the National Heart Foundation does not have an official policy.
Dr Roby, also an intensive care specialist with a special interest in aviation medicine, looked at 38 patients with uncomplicated myocardial infarction (Aviation, Space and Environmental Medicine 2002; 73: 91-6).
Half were given supplemental continuous oxygen therapy throughout the flight via nasal prongs, the rest flew without. All patients underwent Holter monitoring during the flight. (A Holter monitor is a portable, battery-powered device that records an electrocardiogram — ECG for short.)
One patient developed in-flight myocardial ischaemia (inadequate blood supply to the heart muscle), which was brief, self-limiting and asymptomatic. Thirteen patients complained of minor end points. These included complex ventricular ectopic beats (extra heartbeats caused by electrical triggering of the ventricles) or transient ventricular tachycardia — a ventricular rate of 120 beats per minute or more triggered in the ventricles (5 people), low oxygen saturation (5 people), chest pain (2 people) and evidence of S-T depression — changes on an ECG indicating abnormal electrical activity in the ventricles — (1 person).
There were no differences between the 2 groups in the incidence of minor end-points (38% compared to 40%).
Last Reviewed: 11 March 2002
- 1. Medical Observer Weekly 08/03/02
