Figures
- Figure 1–
Flow chart describing patient selection. Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) evaluated by hypoxia-altitude simulation testing (HAST) who had travelled by air without supplemental oxygen and answered an air travel questionnaire were invited to participate. Reasons for not travelling were: not of interest (n=11), worsening of the disease (n=3), afraid of flying (n=5) and other reasons (n=5).
- Figure 2–
Symptoms during air travel before pre-flight evaluation with the hypoxia-altitude simulation test. n=82.
- Figure 3–
Dyspnoea or air hunger and arterial oxygen tension during hypoxia-altitude simulation testing (PaO2HAST). n=82.
- Figure 4–
Symptoms during air travel for patients who flew without supplemental oxygen both the first and the second time. n=31. ns: not significant.
- Figure 5–
Symptoms during air travel for patients who flew the first time without and the second time with supplemental oxygen. n=23. ns: not significant. #: p=0.039.
- Figure 6–
Symptoms during air travel for patients who flew the second time without (n=31) and with (n=23) supplemental oxygen. ns: not significant. #: p=0.032.
Tables
- Table 1– Subject characteristics
Subjects n 82 Sex male/female n/n 34/48 Age years 65±7 BMI kg·m−2 24.9±4.8 Lung function FEV1 L 1.0±0.4 FEV1 % pred 41±13 FVC L 2.4±0.8 FVC % pred 75±21 FEV1/FVC 0.45±0.10 DLCO mmol·min−1·kPa−1 3.2±1.3 DLCO % pred 40±16 RV L 4.4±1.5 RV % pred 198±64 RV/TLC % 60.3±9.6 RV/TLC % pred 149±24 Blood gases and pulse oximetry at sea level PaO2 kPa 9.0±1.1 PaCO2 kPa 5.1±0.6 SpO2 % 93±3 HAST blood gases and pulse oximetry PaO2 kPa 6.3±0.6 PaCO2 kPa 4.9±0.6 SpO2 % 83±4 Data are presented as mean±sd, unless otherwise stated. BMI: body mass index; FEV1: forced expiratory volume in 1 s; % pred: % predicted; FVC: forced vital capacity; DLCO: diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide; RV: residual volume; TLC: total lung capacity; PaO2: arterial oxygen tension; PaCO2: arterial carbon dioxide tension; SpO2: arterial oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry; HAST: hypoxia-altitude simulation test.
