Health Emergencies in aeroplane

BMJ 2008;336:584-586 (15 March).

Feature
Emergency medicine

By: Alison Tonks, associate editor
Health emergencies on aeroplanes often make the headlines, but how common are they and what would you be expected to do if you were on the flight?

Occasionally people are born, become ill, and even die on board aircraft in flight. In July last year, Paul Keetch, Liberal Democrat member of parliament for Hereford, collapsed on a flight from London to Washington, DC. He survived a potentially lethal arrhythmia after prompt treatment with an automatic external defibrillator. Earlier this year a pilot for Air Canada developed signs of acute mental illness near the end of a transatlantic flight and had to be escorted off the rapidly diverted plane into a mental health facility in Ireland. Less than a month later, copilot Michael Warren collapsed and died on a flight to Cyprus. The plane landed safely in Istanbul.

US Aviation Medical Assistance Act 1998
Under individual liability, the act states: “An individual shall not be liable for damages in any action brought in a Federal or State court arising out of the acts or omissions of the individual in providing or attempting to provide assistance in the case of an in-flight medical emergency unless the individual, while rendering such assistance, is guilty of gross negligence or wilful misconduct.”

“Telemedicine is definitely the future for in-flight medical emergencies,” says Dr Alves. “We have some experience with these devices and they can be extremely useful.” More useful than a real live medical volunteer? “No. Nothing works better than another professional on the other end of the line.”