Clinic in the air? A retrospective study of medical emergency calls from a major international airline.
BACKGROUND
There is a high likelihood of a medical professional being onboard the aircraft at the time of emergency. Therefore, a health-care professional should be familiar with in-flight medical events and how to deal with them.


METHODS
I present a 12-month retrospective study of medical distress calls from a major Asian international airline for which International SOS provided in-flight telemedical assistance. All the calls from the airplane to our center were analyzed from January 1, 2006, to January 1, 2007. The number of recommended diversions, availability of a medical professional, the range of medical problems, and used medications were considered.


RESULTS
Overall, there were 191 in-flight air-to-ground consultations. Twenty-three (12.04%) calls were made for pediatric problems, with the youngest patient being 9 months old. Gastrointestinal complaints and simple faints comprised 50.2% of all calls. Most of the in-flight problems were successfully treated symptomatically with the initial recommendation to lie the patient down and administer oxygen. Metoclopramide, stemetil, loperamide, and buscopan were the most often administered drugs. A doctor was onboard in 45.5% of all calls. A recommendation to divert the aircraft was made in six (3.1%) cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Although developments in telemedical assistance and the content of a medical kit make the management of potential in-flight medical emergency much easier, they will never turn a commercial aircraft into a flying clinic. Preflight check-in screening by airlines and encouraging future air travelers with health concerns to seek medical help before flying should be recommended.
Baltsezak
Stanislav
S
SOS Clinic, International SOS, Nanjing, China. stanzhak@hotmail.com
D000337:Aerospace Medicine; D000401:Aircraft; D004630:Emergencies; D005392:First Aid; D006801:Humans; D017216:Telemedicine