Cystic Fibrosis and Fit-to-Fly

Cystic Fibrosis, Hypoxemia, Lung Diseases

Pre-flight evaluation, Air travel, Pulseoximetry, Exercise desaturation, Hypobaria, Hypoxemia

Due to the hypobaric hypoxia during air travel, some patients with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) need supplemental oxygen during air travel. The study aims to evaluate if adding exercise desaturation to the pre-flight evaluation will help predict requirements for in-flight supplemental oxygen.

According to the British Thoracic Society (BTS) recommendations regarding pre-flight evaluation in patients with pulmonary disease, pre-flight arterial oxygen saturation or lung function tests do not discriminate sufficiently between those who need supplemental oxygen during flights, and those who can do without.Therefore, more extensively use of Hypoxia Altitude Simulation test (HAST) has been advocated. However, this test is not widely available. Previous studies have shown that exercise testing is useful for the prediction of in-flight hypoxemia. The investigators have previously developed a pre-flight algorithm for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), based on oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry at rest and during exercise (six minute walking test (6MWT)). It remains unknown as to whether these results are applicable to the CF population. The current study aims to validate the pre-flight algorithm for patients with CF. Since a maximum cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) is recommended in the routine CF-control, the investigators also aim to evaluate whether the use of CPET predicts in-flight hypoxemia with greater accuracy than 6MWT, and whether CPET may replace HAST.

Norway