"Is there a doctor on the aircraft?" Top 10 in-flight medical emergencies

doi:10.1136/bmj.321.7272.1336

BMJ 2000;321:1336-1337 ( 25 November )

Education and debate

"Is there a doctor on the aircraft?" Top 10 in-flight medical emergencies

Nigel Dowdall, consultant occupational physician.

British Airways Health Services, PO Box 365, Harmondsworth UP7 0GB

nigel.1.dowdall@BritishAirways.com

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

In the year ending 31 March 1999 British Airways carried 36.8 million passengers and there were 3386 reported in-flight medicalincidents: about 1 per 11 000 passengers. Though 70% were managedby cabin crew without the assistance of an on-board health professional,in almost 1000 incidents doctors and nurses were asked to helpwith the management of illpassengers.

This article discusses the conditions most likely to lead to the announcement "If there is a doctor of medicine on board theaircraft, would they please make themselves known to one of thecabin crew."

Table Removed (Available Only in the Full Text)

Methods

The information provided is based primarily on British Airways' experience of in-flight medical incidents, as captured fromcrew reports and supplemented by feedback from assisting healthprofessionals, and from discussions with other airline medicaldepartments. The information on medical kits and equipment isbased on the regulatory requirements of the Joint Aviation Authorities,the kits and equipment carried on all British Airways aircraft,. . . [Full text of this article]

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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

No Mention Of Heart Failure: Keith Meloff
bmj.com, 26 Nov 2000 [Full text]
Legal implications: Israel Diarte-Arellano
bmj.com, 27 Nov 2000 [Full text]
Airway management is not 'very little': Daniel Dalgleish
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When does a patient justify a 'diversion'? - you are not alone!: Andrew Berry
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Re: No Mention Of Heart Failure: Nigel Dowdall
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Re: Legal implications: Nigel Dowdall
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Re: When does a patient justify a 'diversion'? - you are not alone!: Nigel Dowdall
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Re: Help Refused: Sri Varman
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