BMJ 2000;321:1338-1341 ( 25 November )

Education and debate

In-flight medical emergencies: an overview

This article was commissioned to go with the preceding article on in-flight medical emergencies. It provides an indication of the range of medical conditions health professionals may be asked to deal with on board an aircraft

Tony Goodwin, senior partner. 

Airport Medical Services, Forte Posthouse Hotel, Horley, Surrey RH6 0BA

amsgatwick@compuserve.com

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

In-flight medical emergencies are attracting increasing interest from the media, travelling public, aviation industry, and medical profession. I discuss the reasons for this and the magnitude of the problem estimated from available data. Methods for preventing these emergencies and the facilities for dealing with them are listed and future requirements are considered.

Table Removed (Available Only in the Full Text)

	Methods

I searched recent literature for published articles and also drew information from conference presentations.^1-3 Statistics were made available by Virgin Atlantic Airways.

	The problems

Older, less healthy, passengers often wish to fly considerable distances, and they expect that the airlines will look after them should problems arise. Similarly, people with known illnesses or disability expect no discrimination and that special facilities should be provided to make their journeys possible.

Air travel can precipitate or contribute to medical problems in a number of ways, even in previously healthy travellers. The stress of getting to and through a modern airport may be . . . [Full text of this article]

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