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| Year : 2017 | Volume
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| Issue : 4 | Page : 1079 |
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| Critical ill patients and flight |
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Beuy Joob1, Viroj Wiwanitkit2
1 Sanitation 1 Medical Academic Center, Bangkhae, Bangkok, Thailand
2 Wiwanitkit House, Bangkhae, Bangkok, Thailand
Click here for correspondence address and email
| Date of Web Publication | 5-Oct-2017 |
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How to cite this article:
Joob B, Wiwanitkit V. Critical ill patients and flight. Ann Trop Med Public Health 2017;10:1079 |
Dear Editor,
In emergency management of the patients, the delivery of the patient to the medical center is an important issue to be considered in public health system.[1] Smedley and Gault recenty noted that “the proper and safe use of air medical transport requires a basic understanding of the medical implications of flight, and the capabilities and constraints involved in transporting patients by air”.[1] The recent report by Smedley et al. is very interesting.[2] These authors reported an interesting case with “cerebral arterial gas embolism after pre-flight ingestion of the hydrogen peroxide”.[2] Smedley et al. discussed on “the safety of aero-medical transfer following the hydrogen peroxide ingestions”.[2] It is no doubt that the possible problems arise due to the aero-medical transfer, but the concern on the other side of the coin needs to be mentioned. “Can the case be delayed transferred” is the big question. As reported by Rider et al., “ingestion of even a small amount of concentrated hydrogen peroxide can result in cerebral air gas embolism”.[2],[3],[4] Indeed, there are also many other controversial cases for air transfer such as pneumothorax [5] and intraorticballon pump.[6]
Hence, whether the aero-medical transfer is used or not, the embolism can dependently occur. Since it was reported that “complete neurologic recovery occurred quickly with the hyperbaric therapy”, the primary focus should be the fastest transfer of the patient.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
 References | |  |
| 1. | Smedley BL, Gault A, Gawthrope IC. Cerebral arterial gas embolism after pre-flight ingestion of hydrogen peroxide. Diving Hyperb Med 2016;46:117-9.  |
| 2. | Rider SP, Jackson SB, Rusyniak DE. Cerebral air gas embolism from concentrated hydrogen peroxide ingestion. ClinToxicol (Phila) 2008;46:815-8. [ PUBMED] |
| 3. | Mullins ME, Beltran JT. Acute cerebral gas embolism from hydrogen peroxide ingestion successfully treated with hyperbaric oxygen. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol 1998;36:253-6. [ PUBMED] |
| 4. | Fromm RE, JrVaron J. Air medical transport. J Fam Pract 1993:36313-8. |
| 5. | Duchateau FX, Legrand JM, Verner L, Brady WJ. Commercial aircraft repatriation of patients with pneumothorax. Air Med J 2013:32200-2. |
| 6. | Berset A, Albrecht R, Ummenhofer W, Erne JJ, Zuercher M. Air transfer of patients with intraaortic balloon pump support: Swiss experience and recommendations. Swiss Med Wkly 2012;142:w13552. [ PUBMED] |
Correspondence Address:
Beuy Joob
Sanitation 1 Medical Academic Center, Bangkok
Thailand
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/1755-6783.196688
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