Blood-Injection-Injury (B-I-I) Specific Phobia Affects the Outcome of Hypoxic Challenge Testing.

Background: Blood-injection-injury (B-I-I) phobia is capable of producing inaccurate hypoxic challenge testing results due to anxiety-induced hyperventilation.

Case Report: A 69-yr-old woman with a history of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, restrictive spirometry, exercise desaturation requiring supplementary oxygen on mobilizing, reduced DLco, and B-I-I phobia was referred for hypoxic challenge testing (HCT) to assess in-flight oxygen requirements. HCT was performed by breathing a 15% FIo2 gas mixture, simulating the available oxygen in ambient air onboard aircraft pressurized to an equivalent altitude of 8000 ft.

Hypercapnic Respiratory Acidosis During An In-Flight Oxygen Assessment.

Background: Patients with respiratory disease are at risk of excessive hypoxemia in the hypobaric commercial aircraft cabin environment, and the consensus is that this is easily corrected with supplementary oxygen. However, despite the risks of hypercapnia with increasing inspired oxygen in some patients being well established, this issue is not currently addressed in medical guidelines for air travel.

Case Report: A 76-yr-old woman with chronic type 2 respiratory failure underwent hypoxic challenge testing (HCT) to assess in-flight oxygen requirements.

Diagnostic predictors of obesity-hypoventilation syndrome in patients suspected of having sleep disordered breathing.

Introduction: Obesity-hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is associated with significant morbidity and mortality and requires measurement of arterial pCO2 for diagnosis.

Objective: To determine diagnostic predictors of OHS among obese patients with suspected obstructive sleep apnea/hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS).

Methods: Retrospective analysis of data on 525 sleep clinic patients (mean age 51.