Dr. Millard cited a study that supports transmission of H1N1 influenza during flight (Epidemiol. Health 2010;32:e2010006). Officials at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that an infected woman who flew from Los Angeles to Seoul in 2009 infected other passengers. The study includes a seating map of the Boeing 747 that shows where she and other passengers who got sick were seated.
"People are trying to figure this out to make [air travel] safer," Dr. Millard said. For example, one set of researchers assessed the ability of commercially available biosensors to detect airborne pathogens on airplanes (PLoS One 2011;6:e14520). With the current technology, however, only steady-state bacteria concentrations were detected in cases in which at least seven infected passengers either coughed 20 times per hour or sneezed 4 times an hour. And no sensor in the study detected airborne viruses well. Sensors with improved sensitivity and/or the screening of individual patients for respiratory illnesses prior to boarding might reduce the infection risk, Dr. Millard said.
For a list of POC devices that have been approved by the FAA, visit www.faa.gov/about/initiatives/cabin_safety/portable_oxygen/.
For additional guidance from the TSA on traveling with supplemental oxygen or other medical devices, you can refer patients to www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/specialneeds/editorial_1374.shtm.
Dr. Millard said that she had no relevant disclosures.