|
Fly the healthy skies
|
 |
August 3, 1998: 1:32 p.m. ET
Four major airlines improve their in-flight medical care equipment
|
NEW YORK (biztravel.com) - After years spent upgrading in-cabin components such as entertainment and communications systems, a number of airlines are beefing up their onboard medical care -- a critical but neglected aspect of in-flight service -- offering state-of-the-art technology and a more comprehensive inventory of equipment to enhance in-air treatment options.
Four carriers -- Alaska, American, Delta and United -- recently announced that they would add automatic external defibrillator (AED) units and enhanced medical kits to all their jet aircraft. These additions represent the first major changes to in-flight medical equipment since the FAA first mandated that airlines carry a basic medical kit in 1986.
To the physicians who have assisted in in-flight medical crises, the improvements are welcome, though long overdue.
Although all the airlines meet FAA-mandated requirements, Ian W. Cummings, M.D., Ph.D., a practicing emergency care physician and president of the Association of Emergency Physicians, deemed the medical care offered by the domestic airlines to be "woefully inadequate and inconsistent" -- a sentiment shared by other medical professionals and associations.
Fueling the enhancements
Airlines and industry observers point to the dramatic rise in the number of passengers flying for the sudden upsurge in health-care service improvements. With the additional fliers has come an accompanying increase (almost ten-fold) in the number of overall medical incidents.
Statistically speaking, an air passenger's likelihood of requiring life-saving efforts is minuscule: Only one in 5.8 million passengers experienced an in-flight medical emergency in 1996, according to an industry study by the Air Transport Association (ATA). That figure includes everything from minor cuts to more serious incidents.
The real impetus for medical care upgrades may be the change in airline demographics and the health-risks affecting such groups, rather than pending legislation. There are more seniors traveling than ever these days and the frequent flier population is aging as well.
Heart-saving momentum
According to most physicians, the most important improvement to in-flight medical service has been the addition of AEDs. Considered highly effective, these battery-operated, laptop-size units deliver an electrical current that restarts the heart.
Immediate access to an AED is essential to treating sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), a life-threatening problem where the heart stops and must be restarted by an electric current. Though a 1996 ATA study pinned the number of onboard cardiovascular incidents at less than 10%, these occurrences accounted for almost one-third of the industry's emergency landings.
"Defibrillation is the only thing that has been shown to have a major impact on survival," Dr. Cummings warned.
Some 350,000 people a year die after suffering a cardiac arrhythmia. Many victims have no prior history or indication of heart disease; SCA strikes healthy men and women in their 20s and 30s as well as less physically fit 60-somethings. Moreover, response time is critical: Successful resuscitation decreases by approximately 10% with each minute of delay before defibrillation is begun.
Expanded kits, better care
The four carriers are also beefing up the contents of their medical kits by adding items requested by physicians who've responded to in-flight emergencies. Although the contents vary, all are expected to include advanced cardiac life-support drugs to supplement AED revival.
Other additions include items needed for: manual airway resuscitation and ventilation; IV equipment and fluids; and a wider range of medications to help treat seizures, diabetic-related incidents, respiratory problems (such as asthma attacks), nausea, motion sickness or vomiting, psychosis or anxiety, and postpartum bleeding. Aspirin, an item commonly used for cardiac events (but not included in the FAA-mandated basic kit), will also be added.
American now offers AEDs on almost 40 percent of its fleet, and the carrier expects to have the new kits and AEDs on all its aircraft by November. The other carriers say they will begin rolling out the new equipment this summer, however it could take 12 to 18 months or longer before a carrier's entire fleet is fully equipped.
A false sense of security?
The availability of defibrillators and other advanced medical equipment-in the hands of fast-acting, qualified medical professional-ups the odds of a favorable outcome in an in-flight medical emergency. However, flyers should not over-value their efficacy.
"Defibrillators are wonderful," observed an American spokesperson, "but they won't be able to take care of everything that occurs."
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
