Knowing which medical items and devices you are allowed to pack in a carry-on
or checked bag before you arrive to the airport can ensure that all the medical
items that you need for your trip make it to your final destination.
That's why in this video I am going to list out the most common medical items and devices
that you are allowed to pack with you, and which type of bag you can pack them in.
Let's go
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So right off the bat, I am going to list some medical items that if you were to
bring these through security, you are not going to have any issues from the TSA.
These items are, casts, crutches, instant hot and cold packs,
a pill cutter, prosthetics, supplements, support braces, including knee, ankle, wrist, and back.
Vitamins in solid form.
Walkers and wheelchairs.
For the rest of the list of medical items I am going to break them down
into six different categories which would include
Diabetic Medical Supplies
Medications
Eye care items
Personal oxygen
Medical devices, and a few other medical items that don't fit the
other five categories which I'll label as other medical items.
So let's go ahead and start with the first category which is Diabetic Medical Supplies.
The first item under this category is blood sugar test kits.
Test kits can be packed in either a checked or carry-on bag.
If you are going to pack them in your carry-on bag you will need to notify the
TSA officer that you have diabetes and that you have your supplies with you.
Insulin pumps and supplies must be accompanied by insulin.
And any insulin in any form or dispenser must be clearly identified.
The next item is Glucose Monitors.
If your monitor contains lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries
then you need to pack them in your carry-on bag.
Most other electronic devices containing batteries can be packed in either bag.
The next item is EpiPens.
These can be packed in either a checked or carry-on bag.
If you are going to pack them in your carry-on bag,
normally any liquid would not be able to exceed 3.4 ounces however,
the TSA does allow larger amounts of medically necessary liquids like EpiPens through security.
You will just need to notify the TSA officer that you have an EpiPen
so they can be properly screened.
Moving on to the second category which is Medications.
Now if you are going to be packing these medications in your carry-on bag,
the first thing you want to do is tell the TSA officer that you have these medications
or medically necessary liquids, and then you want to separate those out from the
rest of your belongings before the screening process begins.
Now if you are using freezer packs to keep your medication cool,
or if you have IV bags or pumps or syringes, then you will need to declare those as well to the TSA.
And if you label these items it will help speed up the screening process.
So before I move any further,
I should mention for carry-on bags there is what's called a 3-1-1 liquid rule.
The rule states that you can carry no more than 3.4 ounces of individual containers of liquid,
gel, aerosols, or paste that must fit in one quart sized bag
and you are only allowed one bag per passenger.
As I mentioned before you can carry more than 3.4 ounces of liquid in your carry-on
as long as it's medically necessary.
You are not required to place your liquid medication in the plastic zip top bag.
If a liquid, gel, or aerosol medication sets off an alarm
then it may require additional screening and may not be allowed.
If you do not want your liquid medication to be screened by x-ray or opened,
inform the TSA officer and additional steps will be taken to clear the liquid, and you will undergo
additional screening procedures to include a pat down and the screening of your carry-on bag.
Many cases that would follow this type of screening would be inhalers,
medications, including nitroglycerin in pill form, and liquid medication.
Liquid vitamins unfortunately would have to adhere
to the 311 liquid rule for carry-on bags but are not restricted for checked bags.
And the last item under medications is medical marijuana.
Medical marijuana can be packed in both your checked and carry-on luggage for products
that contain no more than 0.3 THC on a dry weight basis or that is approved by the FDA.
And TSA officers do not purposely look for marijuana or any other illegal drugs,
but if they are discovered during the screening process
they are required to report it to local authorities if it's over the legal limit.
Moving on to category 3, Eye care items.
Contact lens solution and contact lenses are allowed to be packed in either your checked
or carry-on bag however, unless you are going on a long international trip you might have a
hard time getting more than the 3.4 ounces of contact lens solution through security.
So if you want to carry more than the 3.4 ounces
allowed then I would recommend packing it in your checked bag.
The same goes for eye drops.
No more than 3.4 ounces in your carry-on bag but pack as much as you need in a checked bag.
The fourth category is Personal oxygen.
Medically necessary personal oxygen, these are not allowed to be packed in a checked bag.
You can bring personal medical oxygen cylinders through the
security checkpoint and in the gate area however,
they are not allowed in the airplane as they are considered hazardous material by the FAA.
On the other hand portable oxygen concentrators,
these are allowed in either a checked or carry-on bag but with special instructions.
Per the FAA certain portable oxygen concentrators are allowed on board
the airplane including Inogen One, Sequal Eclipse, and Airsep Lifestyle.
And I will make sure to link a full list of portable oxygen concentrators that
meet the FAA specifications for in-flight use in the show notes.
On to the fifth category which is Medical Devices.
Let's start with External Medical Devices.
These can be packed in either a checked or carry-on bag with special instructions.
You will need to inform the TSA officer if you have a bone growth stimulator,
spinal stimulator, neurostimulator, port, feeding tube, insulin pump, ostomy, or other
medical device attached to your body and where it is located before the screening process begins.
If you can safely disconnect from the device, you can have it x-rayed.
You might want to check with the manufacturer of the device to determine whether it can
pass through an x-ray, a metal detector, or advanced imaging technology for screening.
If you cannot disconnect from the device it may require additional screening.
If you need assistance you may ask for a passenger support specialist or a supervisory TSA officer.
Non-External Medical Devices.
These type of medical devices are only allowed in a carry-on bag.
Do not pack these in a checked bag.
And any medical device containing radioactive material, implanted,
ingested, injected, or fitted externally as a result of a medical treatment are prohibited.
Nebulizers, CPAP, BIPAP, APAP, these can be packed
in either a checked or carry-on bag with the following instructions.
For carry-on bags these devices must be removed
from the carrying case and undergo x-ray screening.
Face masks and tubing may remain in the case.
You may provide a clear plastic bag to place the device in for x-ray screening.
A TSA officer may need to remove the device from the bag to test it for traces of explosives.
Liquids associated with nebulizers are exempt from the 311 liquids rule in reasonable quantities.
Devices containing lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries should be carried in carry-on baggage.
Most other consumer electronic devices containing batteries
are allowed in carry-on and checked baggage.
And moving on to the sixth and last category which is Other Medical Items.
The first item is canes and crutches.
These are okay to take through security but they do have to go through the x-ray scanner.
If they don't fit then a TSA officer will visually inspect them.
The next item is Life vests.
You are allowed to bring a life vest with up to two CO2 cartridges inside
plus two spare cartridges in either your carry-on or checked bag however,
the CO2 cartridges do need to be with the life vest.
They cannot be packed by themselves.
The next item are Medical Clinical Thermometers containing mercury.
The FAA does allow one small clinical thermometer per passenger in a checked bag only.
And they do have to be in a protective case.
Thermometers with a red line instead of silver are not mercury and are not restrictive.
The same goes for digital thermometers.
Unless it's powered by lithium batteries, in which case it should be packed in a carry-on bag.
And the last items under this category are Used in Unused Syringes.
These can be packed in your checked bag with no problem.
If you want to carry them in your carry-on bag, they would have to meet the following criteria.
Unused syringes are allowed as long as they are with injectable medication.
You must declare these items to the TSA officers for inspection.
Used syringes are allowed when transported in a Sharps disposal
container or other similar hard surface container.
And the last thing I will say is that if you have a disability or medical
condition that may make it difficult for you to go through security,
it's best to talk to a TSA officer to discuss the best way to screen you.
You could also provide the TSA officer with what's known as a TSA notification card.
What this card is going to do is just list out your disability or medical condition and really
this gives the TSA officer the information they need to best know how to screen you.
Now if you have other medical documentation that describes
your condition you can also give that to the TSA officer as well.
Now if you have any concerns, questions, or need assistance getting through airport security,
you can contact the service called Passenger Support.
And they are really just there to help you if you need them.
And I will make sure to link all these resources in the show notes, so be sure to check those out.
Well, I hope the information in this video was helpful to you and if it was
I appreciate you liking the video and consider subscribing to see more of these type of videos.
And like I said before I will list a bunch of free resources down in the show notes for you
to check out, as well as some of my other videos that I think will be helpful to you as well.
Thank you so much for watching this one and I can't wait to see you in a future video