Deterioration and Recurrence in Flight Passengers with Ischemic Stroke: An Evidence Based Case Report

Ischemic stroke is a cerebrovascular disease characterized by a sudden neurological deficit due to thrombotic or embolic event. The physiological changes during in-flight related to high altitude, hypobaric hypoxic, is a condition that can affect blood circulation in the brain. There was limited evidence to prove the possibility of clinical condition deterioration and/or new onset of recurrent stroke among commercial flight passengers with ischemic stroke. This evidence-based case report aims to determine the possibility of clinical condition deterioration and/or new onset of recurrent stroke on commercial flight passengers with history of ischemic stroke related to hypoxia hypobaric during the in-flight or post-flight period. Three relevant articles were found in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane, and Ingenta library databases. After critical appraisal, all of the relevant articles were shown to be valid, important, and applicability with the level of evidence ranging from III–IV. There were no studies that reported a clinical condition deterioration and/or a new onset of recurrent stroke among commercial flight passengers with ischemic stroke. However, two studies reported a new case of ischemic stroke during in-flight with unknown etiology. Commercial flight passengers with history of ischemic stroke didn’t show any clinical condition deterioration and/or a new onset of ischemi stroke during in-flight or postflight.