Exceptional survival of an airplane stowaway, treated successfully with hyperbaric oxygen. | Canada Hyperbarics Skip to main content
Clinical Study The American journal of emergency medicine 2022

Exceptional survival of an airplane stowaway, treated successfully with hyperbaric oxygen.

Schwarte LA, van der Werf HJ, Ridderikhof ML, Fräβdorf J, van Embden D, Weenink RP — The American journal of emergency medicine, 2022

Tier 2, Indexed

Automatically imported from PubMed based on relevance criteria.

Summary

What Researchers Did

Researchers reported an exceptional case of an airplane stowaway who survived a transcontinental flight and was successfully treated.

What They Found

They found an unconscious stowaway after an 8-hour transcontinental flight with a rectal temperature of 35.5 °C and neurological deficits. Initial hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for 5 hours led to full neurological recovery. A subsequent recurrence of left leg paresis was successfully treated with three days of daily HBOT.

Canadian Relevance

This study has no direct Canadian connection as it reports a single case from a non-Canadian context.

Study Limitations

The primary limitation of this study is that it is a single case report, limiting the generalizability of its findings to a broader patient population.

This plain-language summary is generated with AI assistance and checked against the source abstract before publication. See our editorial policy.

Was this summary helpful?

Study Details

Study Type Clinical Study
Category Neurological
Source Pubmed
PubMed ID 35718658
Year Published 2022
Journal The American journal of emergency medicine
MeSH Terms Aerospace Medicine; Aircraft; Altitude Sickness; Decompression Sickness; Humans; Hyperbaric Oxygenation; Male; Oxygen

Cite This Study

Share
Discuss with a qualified healthcare professional. Then: Review Coverage Guide View Recognised Conditions

Disclaimer: This study summary is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice. The information presented reflects the findings of the original research authors and may not represent the views of Canada Hyperbarics. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making treatment decisions.

Last reviewed: April 2, 2026 | Reviewed by: Canada Hyperbarics Editorial Team | Editorial process | Research sources | Counts & methodology