Here’s what happens when airline passengers encounter a medical emergency mid-flight
diet27:25What do I need to know about medical emergencies during flight?
Emergency physician Dr. Scott Kapoor was recently on a flight to San Francisco when he attended his latest mid-air consultation.
The flight crew called a doctor due to a patient complaining of chest pain.
About six or seven physicians stood up — including himself, “because there was a medical conference there,” Kapoor said.
The patient’s chest pain eventually resolved on its own, and the plane ultimately did not need to be diverted to a nearby airport for additional care.
Kapoor’s experience may seem rare, but in-flight medical emergencies happen more often than airline passengers think.
A Study analyzing nearly 78,000 cases Between January 2022 and December 2023 it was suggested that a medical emergency occur once every 212 flights, with physicians often volunteering to provide care, then nurses and paramedics.
More than half of the recorded emergencies were experienced by women, and long-haul flights, typically six or more hours, accounted for almost half of all recorded cases.
Still, experts say airlines have clear protocols for responding to in-flight medical emergencies, including access to trained physicians who can provide ground support in the event flight crews aren’t able to connect with a volunteer medical professional.
Here’s how airlines typically respond to in-flight medical emergencies.
First, identify the cause of the medical crisis
According to Dr. Vincent Poirier, senior medical advisor for Air Canada and Air Transit, major airlines usually have a clear order of operations for dealing with a passenger who experiences an in-flight medical emergency.
He says loss of consciousness, gastrointestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea, and heart and lung problems are the most common emergencies during flight.
After identifying a passenger in distress, flight crew will usually attempt basic first aid if they are able.
“They are trained in CPR, basic life support and they are also trained on automated external defibrillators,” Poirier said. diet Host Dr. Brian Goldman.
Flight crew have access to a first aid kit containing several over-the-counter remedies, including medications such as Tylenol or aspirin, as well as supplies such as anti-nausea and vomiting medications, antihistamines, and bandages.
If airline crew is not able to treat passengers using first aid, they will proceed and call a medical professional on board.
“It doesn’t require being a doctor,” said Poirier, an associate professor at McGill University who co-founded the school’s Onboard Medical Emergencies course.
“It could be a nurse; it could be a paramedic.”
paging ground control
While every airline has a protocol for dealing with medical emergencies, MedAir’s global medical director, cardiologist Dr. Paolo Alves, says they may vary from airline to airline.
MedAir provides ground medical support services for the airline and maritime industries, although Alves’s expertise is aviation.
“Well, the old standard would be that in case of a medical situation, flight attendants would page for the occasional medical volunteer on board,” Alves said.
He said some airlines call MedAir immediately, while others call only as a backup if no volunteers offer help.
Once they are contacted, MedAir connects callers to a trained emergency physician at the hospital.
Thanks to advanced medical monitoring equipment carried on some aircraft, MedAir is able to obtain information such as blood pressure levels, blood oxygen saturation and even heart rate via satellite link.
“Depending on the situation we may say ‘Okay, you can just go into the kit and provide this medicine,'” Alves said.
Since flight attendants usually have only basic first aid training, they cannot administer injectable medications, nor can they administer medications that require a prescription.
In that instance, services like MedAir will recommend paging to a medical volunteer, who can access a kit on board that is reserved for use only by medical professionals.
Ground support services may also suggest whether the flight needs to be diverted, although the final decision depends on the pilot, who may choose to land if, among other reasons, a patient has had a stroke or cardiac arrest, or if someone has given birth on the plane.
“This does not mean that (the pilot) can land the plane immediately,” Alves said, explaining that the logistics of finding the nearest suitable airport could create issues, including geopolitical concerns.
According to Poirier, Transport Canada and the Federal Aviation Administration have strict protocols for in-flight medical kits, although different airlines may choose to stock additional supplies.
For flights carrying more than 100 passengers, Transport Canada requires Medications such as epinephrine, nitroglycerin, and atropine to treat heart problems, severe allergic reactions, as well as potentially sedate a patient in crisis.
According to Poirier, Air Canada and Air Transat are stocked with the antipsychotic haloperidol, the benzodiazepine lorazepam and even a naloxone kit.
“Even though it’s not a regulation across Canada, it is still strongly recommended to carry naloxone, and our major carriers in Canada carry naloxone,” he said.
Transport Canada also requires emergency kits to contain equipment such as a blood pressure cuff, syringes for giving intravenous medication, a stethoscope and a CPR mask with an oxygen port and valve.
Raise your hand if you can volunteer, experts advise
Experts like Alves acknowledge that treating a patient on an airplane 9,000 meters in the air can be a nerve-wracking experience – especially if the medical professional concerned is not a trained emergency medical provider.
“It’s a noisy environment, it’s a tight environment,” said emergency physician Dr. David Kodama, a transport medicine physician at Orange Air Ambulance and medical consultant for Air Canada.
“Not only that, but you’re working with tools that are different… so trying to navigate some of those subtle pieces can definitely be challenging.”
Nonetheless, Kodama says volunteer medical professionals can make a huge difference, even if they only communicate with grassroots support.
The return tickets of a handful of passengers were canceled by Air Canada because the airline had no record of their previous flights. The airline describes it as a rare malfunction, but others say it is a safety issue.
Additionally, doctors who step in to help are typically protected by Good Samaritan laws, meaning they’re less likely to face a potential malpractice lawsuit if something goes wrong, Kodama says.
If passengers are concerned about their pre-flight health, they can reduce the risk of experiencing an in-flight emergency by consulting a travel medicine physician.
Poirier advises people to keep their medications with them on flights, as well as a list of medications that can be consulted in case of an emergency.
Its Also important for all travelers Stay well hydrated, and stand up or stretch regularly during long flights to avoid things like cramps and blood clots.
