Practical points

doi:10.1136/bmj.39525.516968.3A

BMJ 2008;336:684 (29 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.39525.516968.3A

Letters

Cabin fever

Practical points

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

I write with reference to Tonks’s article.¹ On three occasionsI have been asked to attend another passenger or a crew memberon a longhaul flight.

An elderly man collapsed. He spoke no English. I did not realisehow anaemic he was until we came in to land; curtains were drawnand it was dark outside. Once he was in daylight the diagnosiswas obvious. The cabin staff had been reluctant to draw thecurtains as it was still early morning. I suggest that wherepossible the curtains are drawn when you are making an assessment.The cabin staff wanted this passenger strapped upright in hisseat for landing but I managed to persuade them to lie him onfloor against a bulkhead. Even sitting him upright in his seathad caused him to faint.

On two of the occasions when I saw a passenger, the captainof the aircraft . . . [Full text of this article]

David N Greig,, retired general practitioner

¹ Taunton TA2

davidnhgreig@yahoo.co.uk