Congenital heart disease and air travel
1Department of Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Gazi University; Ankara-Turkey
Anatol J Cardiol 2021; 25(): 18-19 DOI: 10.5152/AnatolJCardiol.2021.S107
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Abstract

The number of individuals traveling by airplanes is increasing every year. Patients with congenital heart disease and shunts, exposure to high altitude during a flight is important since it causes pulmonary vaso- constriction leading to an increase in right-to-left shunting and a decrease in arterial oxygen saturation. Patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease and Eisenmenger syndrome should be evaluated before the flight, and necessary precautions should be taken.