Managing In-flight Medical Emergency.
10.5124/jkma.2006.49.5.449
- Author:
Bok Soon HAN
1
Author Information
1. Korean Air, Korea. bshan@koreanair.com
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
In-flight medical emergency;
Unscheduled landings;
Physician passengers;
Emergency medical kits
- MeSH:
Aged;
Defibrillators;
Diptera;
Emergencies*;
Humans;
Intubation;
Preexisting Condition Coverage
- From:Journal of the Korean Medical Association
2006;49(5):449-456
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
In-flight medical emergencies are likely to increase as air travel continues to grow and as more elderly passengers with preexisting diseases fly long distances. Unscheduled landing for a medical reason is a serious situation for commercial air carriers. The common causes of unscheduled landings are cardiac and neurological problems. Physician passengers might be called upon to help ill or injured passengers at any time. Physicians play an important role in in-flight medical emergencies. Most airlines have installed the emergency medical kits and automated external defibrillator (AED), ambu bag, intubation set, etc. The management of in-flight medical emergences requires the assistance from welltrained crew, adequate medical equipments and medications, availability of physician passengers, and ground medical communications. This article summarizes the in-flight resources available for physician passengers when called upon for medical emergencies while on board.
