Central Hypoventilation: A Case Study of Issues Associated with Travel Medicine and Respiratory Infection
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2015-07-29
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Abstract
Aim. We presented the case of a child with central hypoventilation syndrome (CHS) to highlight issues that need to be considered in planning long-haul flight and problems that may arise during the flight. Case. The pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) received a child with central hypoventilation syndrome (Ondine’s curse) on nocturnal ventilatory support who travelled to Hong Kong on a make-a-wish journey. He was diagnosed with central hypoventilation and had been well managed in Canada. During a long-haul aviation travel, he developed respiratory symptoms and desaturations. The child arrived in Hong Kong and his respiratory symptoms persisted. He was taken to a PICU for management. The child remained well and investigations revealed no pathogen to account for his respiratory infection. He went on with his make-a-wish journey. Conclusions. Various issues of travel medicine such as equipment, airline arrangement, in-flight ventilatory support, travel insurance, and respiratory infection are explored and discussed. This case illustrates that long-haul air travel is possible for children with respiratory compromise if anticipatory preparation is timely arranged.
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Kam Lun Hon, Alexander K. C. Leung, Albert M. C. Li, and Daniel K. K. Ng, “Central Hypoventilation: A Case Study of Issues Associated with Travel Medicine and Respiratory Infection,” Case Reports in Pediatrics, vol. 2015, Article ID 647139, 3 pages, 2015. doi:10.1155/2015/647139