© 2004 by BMJ Publishing Group & British Cardiac Society
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ISCHAEMIC HEART DISEASE
How long to wait before a plane journey after AMI 
Aircrafts are pressurised to achieve cabin pressures equivalent to 5000–8000 feet altitude. At this cabin pressure, PIO2 falls from 150 to 107 mm Hg and PaO2 falls from 98 to 55 mm Hg. Although in healthy individuals this results in only a small drop in SaO2, if SaO2 is low to start with, the fall may be clinically significant. Short distance helicopter transport of patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) for emergency medical care has been assessed in a number of small studies and appears safe, with the most frequent side effects being hypotension (~10%), bradycardia (~10%), and tachycardia (atrial fibrillation/flutter or ventricular tachycardia ~5%). There is some discordance in current guidelines for unescorted patients travelling after AMI. After an uncomplicated AMI, travel should be deferred for at least two weeks (American College of Cardiology/American
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