根據(jù)2005年5月出版的《麻醉學(xué)》的研究：超過(guò)一半的乘坐飛機(jī)旅行的乘客血氧飽和度下降到一定水平，在該水平許多住院患者必須接受額外的氧氣。

在該項(xiàng)研究中，涉及了84位從1歲~78歲的旅客，由麻醉醫(yī)生檢測(cè)了他們?cè)诘孛婧惋w機(jī)巡航高度的血氧飽和度。在地面為97%而在空中下降為93%。

皇家集團(tuán)醫(yī)院麻醉專(zhuān)家注冊(cè)主任Susan Humphreys醫(yī)生指出：“我們相信這種下降的氧氣水平，合并諸如脫水、活動(dòng)減少以及濕度較低，能夠?qū)е嘛w行途中和飛行結(jié)束后疾病的發(fā)生。”

55位乘客長(zhǎng)途飛行超過(guò)2小時(shí)，其余29位乘客是短途飛行。從這兩組人群中得到的檢測(cè)結(jié)果類(lèi)似。這些受試者都沒(méi)有嚴(yán)重的心肺疾病。

Humphreys醫(yī)生說(shuō)：“54%的受試者血氧在最大高度都小于94%，早期研究結(jié)果提示：如果住院患者處于這個(gè)水平，有1/3的醫(yī)生會(huì)讓患者吸氧。”
 
Oxygen Too Low for Some Air Passengers
 
More than half of people traveling on airplanes have their oxygen saturation drop to a level at which many hospital patients would be prescribed extra oxygen, according to a study published in the May 2005 issue of Anesthesia.

In the study, 84 passengers, aged one to 78, had their oxygen saturation levels measured by anesthesiologists on the ground and at cruising altitude. While ground levels averaged 97%, these levels fell to an average of 93% at high altitude.

“We believe that these falling oxygen levels, together with factors such as dehydration, immobility, and low humidity could contribute to illness during and after flights,” noted Dr. Susan Humphreys, anesthetic specialist registrar of The Royal Group of Hospitals (Belfast, N. Ireland).

Fifty-five passengers were on long flights that lasted for more than two hours, while the remaining 29 were on short flights. The measurements obtained from both groups were similar. None of the subjects had severe cardio-respiratory problems.

“The oxygen levels of 54% of our subjects fell to less than 94% at maximum altitude and an earlier study suggested that a third of physicians would put hospital patients with these levels on extra oxygen,” added Dr. Humphreys.