Re: question

["cindy holland" <cindyhol@bellsouth.net>]

Good questions for someone not exposed to high altitude flights with
patients.  I would refer you to either a flight physiology book or a web
site.  There are many factors involved and needing to be considered in the
high altitude flight environment.  Your best resource would be on of the
above. Too lengthy to email this knowledge.  Good luck.  Work hard and
obtain your goals.!!
Cindy Holland, RN CFN
Emory Flight 3
----- Original Message -----
From: "Ann Chandler" <alc24@acsu.buffalo.edu>
To: <flightmed@flightweb.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2002 2:47 AM
Subject: question


> Hello!
>
>     I am a nursing student at the University at Buffalo in New York State.
I
> have been on this listserv observing and reading the emails sent for the
> past few weeks. I am very interested in the field of "Flight Medicine,"
and
> have tossed around the idea of becoming a flight nurse later in my life.
> Through my interest and my research I have a question to ask. "Through
your
> experience and knowledge, does the altitude at which a critically ill
client
> is transported cause any significant symptoms or problems related to
hypoxia
> or respiratory distress that may not have occurred if that client were to
be
> transported on the ground? If so, are there any methods that your agency
> uses to ensure that these symptoms do not occur, such as placing that
client
> on a ventilatory system during the air lift?"
>
>     In reading through a good reference that describes a few case studies
> that were performed on animals related to this subject [Chang, Deh-Ming
MD.
> (2001) Intensive care air transport: The sky is the limit; or is it?
> Critical Care Medicine Journal. 29 (11)], I found that "Although the Fio2
> remains constant at 21%, the partial pressure of oxygen in ambient air
> declines progressively in proportion to barometric pressure as altitude
> increases... A patient who requires 70% oxygen at sea level will require
97%
> oxygen at 8000 feet above sea level to maintain the same inspired oxygen
> partial pressure." (Chang, pp 2228) I also found that as altitude
increases
> there is typically a reduction in the lung's forced vital capacity as well
> as an increase in residual volume. Therefore it can be stated that by
> increasing the altitude at which a client is transported can lead to a
> higher chance of acquiring a secondary condition during the air lift.  I
> would love to hear of any experiences and comments that you may have
related
> to my initial question!
>
>     Thank you very much for you input on this subject, I truly am
interested
> in your responses!
>
> Ann L. Chandler
> Student Nurse
> Class 2003
> University at Buffalo
> alc24@acsu.buffalo.edu
>
>
>
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