DID YOU KNOW?
In the 1930s cabin crew were almost exclusively female and nearly all were registered nurses so that they might attend passengers who fell ill – a much more common event in the days of early commercial air travel. World War II forced a relaxation of this rule as nurses were needed in the war effort.
Diversion of an aircraft is uncommon. A study by the
New England Journal of
Medicine found that only about 7 per cent of in-flight medical emergencies where a ground-based medical consultation service was contacted resulted in diversion. These were mainly critically ill patients or those with time-sensitive medical emergencies such as cardiovascular, neurological, or respiratory system conditions.
The most common medical emergencies were related to people passing out or nearly passing out. Breathing difficulties came in second and gastrointestinal-related issues, such as nausea and vomiting, was the third most common condition. Other common in-flight medical issues include injury to crew and passengers through turbulence, heart attacks and allergic reactions to peanut products.
If someone dies on a flight, they are moved to the back of aircraft or to an area where the crew rest – ideally, somewhere that can be curtained off from other passengers. If this is not possible, the passenger will be left in situ if they are in a window seat, or moved to one so they can be placed against the fuselage. Crew will restrain the body in the seat, always maintaining the person’s dignity. Some larger aircraft have a compartment that can hold a body. (Source: Aviation expert Irene King)
US doctors and other medically trained personnel are not legally required to respond to on-board medical emergencies on US-based airlines, but those that do offer assistance are protected by the Aviation Medical Assistance Act, except in cases of ‘‘gross negligence’’.
Canada (except for Quebec) and the United Kingdom also do not require providers to render assistance, but doctors have an ethical duty to respond in the event of a medical emergency. Quebec is the only province in Canada that imposes a legal duty on physicians to come to the aid of a person in a lifethreatening emergency.
Other countries, including Australia and some in the European Union, require healthcare professionals to respond to on-board medical emergencies. Regardless of potential legal duties to assist, healthcare providers are arguably ethically obliged to render assistance if they can. (Source: Dr Jose Nable, coauthor of ‘Is there a doctor on board? In-flight medical emergencies’)