Fitness to Fly Assessment (Venturi Mask)

Your child’s doctor has requested that a fitness to fly test be carried out on your child. The test will be carried out in the Respiratory Function Laboratory.

Why does this need to be done?
The oxygen level in a plane is lower than the air we usually breathe. It is about the same level of oxygen in the air that your child would breathe if you took them to a mountain ski resort. The test is done to check whether your child will need oxygen to be safe to fly in a plane.

How does the test work?
During the test your child sits in a chair wearing oxygen cannula and a mask (see leaflet). Your child will be breathing a gas mixture which provides the same level of oxygen as on a plane. We will monitor your child’s oxygen saturation and may add in some supplementary oxygen through the oxygen cannula. The test will take approximately 20-30 minutes to perform.

Our information leaflet for patients and parents explains more.