It’s a situation that some plane phobias fear, and which can sometimes take a turn for the worse, as in the case of this British mother who died on Friday August 5 in full flight, in front of her husband and children. If the fact that a passenger dies in the air, fortunately, remains an extremely rare event, what should I do if I suddenly feel sick in the middle of a flight across the Atlantic Ocean? As with any event in air transport, this event is well anticipated by the companies and is the subject of many procedures.
If, for example, a person becomes a victim of respiratory arrest, the crew on the ship begins by laying him down in one of the curtained-off stewards’ and hostesses’ lounges and administering first aid. “Every flight crew member receives practical and theoretical first aid training with simulations every yearexplain Figaro Dr. Vincent Faily, Passenger Medicine Manager at Air France. They repeat the gestures used to determine whether a person is conscious, a heart massage, or the use of equipment.»
This, as required by the rules, consists of three different packages. A first aid kit, first, containing paracetamol, anti-vomiting, diarrhea or allergy medicine, bandages and disinfectant. The first aid kit, then, located in the cockpit and locked with the key to the captain. It consists of, among other things, antibiotics and an infusion set, and its use must be prescribed by a doctor on site. Finally, there is the resuscitation bag, which contains a defibrillator, a stethoscope, a thermometer, an oximeter, a mask, and an oxygen cylinder.
Tilt the plane
If the patient’s condition does not improve, the commander may decide to contact Samui de Paris, which every aircraft in the company can reach via satellite. Samu assesses the situation described by the crew on board and assigns the use of emergency medical supplies accordingly. “The doctor on board can also prescribe and use the contents of the medical kit after checking his professional cardsays Dr. Faily.
In some cases, the captain, with Samu’s expertise, may decide to divert the aircraft from its original route to land as quickly as possible. “It’s a benefit/risk calculation.he explains. It makes no sense to divert to an airport that is not close to a suitable medical center. There are areas where a change in route rarely occurs, such as the mid-Atlantic, Russia, or parts of Africa.“. In fact, diversions that allow for emergency hospitalization are only necessary in 7% of cases, according to a study published in 2013. New England Journal of Medicine. When approaching an airport, the captain may request from air traffic control priority of landing. The patient is then transported to the nearest hospital as quickly as possible.
If the procedure is well established, serious health problems on the plane are rare. According to research that has been published New England Journal of Medicine, as a passenger, you have a 1 in 604 chance of becoming unwell during the flight. A doctor is present in 48% of cases, and a nurse in 20%. The most frequent pathologies are fainting (37% of emergency medical visits), difficulty breathing (12%), nausea (9.5%) and heart problems (8%). Pregnancy-related accidents are even rarer, as is cardiac arrest, which accounts for only 0.3% of cases.
Dr. Faily wants to be encouraging. “If you having a heart attack, you are statistically more likely to survive on a plane than, for example, if you are alone at home because you are surrounded by 300 witnesses and trained and equipped personnel to help you.“, He says.
Source: Le Figaro
