What happens when you get ill….

The artical went on to say that in the US when the call “Is there a doctor on board?” is made, an awful lot of doctors will not say anything because they are afraid of being sued if the person dies!

Rgds Cking

Don’t you believe everthing you read. Most (if not all) U.S. states have had “good samaritan”: laws for the last 20 years.
Also, defribulators are rtequired aboard US registered jets. The federal government could not pass a law requiring such if “good faith” operators could be sued.

Same view taken by Virgin. We now carry machines that give a complete diagnosis (and live video feed) to a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona. They take full responsibility for all actions they request of the crew.

The artical went on to say that in the US when the call “Is there a doctor on board?” is made, an awful lot of doctors will not say anything because they are afraid of being sued if the person dies!

I can’t speak for other airlines but BA have special insurance to indemnify any assisting healthcare professional from any law-suits resulting from their actions. Interestingly though we would now only ever seek medical assistance onboard on instruction from the doctors at the ground based medical assistance service.

1L.

When I came back from Hong Kong there was a lady who was having trouble breathing. She was lying on the floor next to one of the emergency exits. The crew spent 10 or 15 minutes asking for medical professionals to come forward but nobody did. Somebody decided that she was stable enough to carry on to London, so we continued for the next 7 hours and paramedics stood by to whisk her off to hospital.

Reading halfway through that i thought that they’d actually put her into the refrigirator thinking she was gone !!! 🙂

I have seen doctors ( 5 doctors ) trying to revive a patient succesfully once on a royal jordanian flight !!!

I’ve just been trying to find a photograph on Airliners.net, but have had no luck! I’m sure it was a Singapore Airlines Airbus A340-500 that actually had a refridgerator on board to store anybody who had passed away during the flight.

When I came back from Hong Kong there was a lady who was having trouble breathing. She was lying on the floor next to one of the emergency exits. The crew spent 10 or 15 minutes asking for medical professionals to come forward but nobody did. Somebody decided that she was stable enough to carry on to London, so we continued for the next 7 hours and paramedics stood by to whisk her off to hospital.

Thats just crazy and sad!

But i will raise a couple of points.

1. Dr’s sign up to the hippocratic oath, which means if somebody is in need of medical emergency, then they are duty bound to help.

2. Unless the Dr, really screws up big time, then why should the relatives sue, he should be protected under the “good samaritan” act…

I completely agree with you!
But it seems in America anyone can be sued for anything.

It appears the good Dr’s are caught in a catch 22 situation when on board an aircraft flying to/from/over America.

Indeed.

I have some vague recollection of a case where a man suffered a fatal heart attack over the atlantic, hours from any airport. A doctor on board called the time of death and resuss efforts were stopped.

The Family, Americans, then filed a law suite to sue the doctor, the airline and the crew for not continuing their efforts to resuscitate the man. I do not recall the outcome.

Any doctor will tell you that if you don’t resuss someone who’s heart has stopped within a minute at most, there’s little hope. Especially after an hour, which this crew and doctor did.
What were they supposed to do? Pump away and mans chest for 4 hours?!?

Thats just crazy and sad!

But i will raise a couple of points.

1. Dr’s sign up to the hippocratic oath, which means if somebody is in need of medical emergency, then they are duty bound to help.

2. Unless the Dr, really screws up big time, then why should the relatives sue, he should be protected under the “good samaritan” act…

There was an interesting artical in Flight about this a few years ago. BA’s medical kit was considered the industry leader and a lot of airlines, including VS just copied the contents list. A lot of airlines medical departments co operate and have regular conferences to improve the contents of the kit too.The medical kit is a standard kit across the BA fleet and they also carry a defib.
The artical went on to say that in the US when the call “Is there a doctor on board?” is made, an awful lot of doctors will not say anything because they are afraid of being sued if the person dies!

Rgds Cking

Indeed.

I have some vague recollection of a case where a man suffered a fatal heart attack over the atlantic, hours from any airport. A doctor on board called the time of death and resuss efforts were stopped.

The Family, Americans, then filed a law suite to sue the doctor, the airline and the crew for not continuing their efforts to resuscitate the man. I do not recall the outcome.

Any doctor will tell you that if you don’t resuss someone who’s heart has stopped within a minute at most, there’s little hope. Especially after an hour, which this crew and doctor did.
What were they supposed to do? Pump away and mans chest for 4 hours?!?

There was an interesting artical in Flight about this a few years ago. BA’s medical kit was considered the industry leader and a lot of airlines, including VS just copied the contents list. A lot of airlines medical departments co operate and have regular conferences to improve the contents of the kit too.The medical kit is a standard kit across the BA fleet and they also carry a defib.
The artical went on to say that in the US when the call “Is there a doctor on board?” is made, an awful lot of doctors will not say anything because they are afraid of being sued if the person dies!

Rgds Cking

I know all Qantas flights carry a diffibrilator on board and all flight crew are trained in resuscitation techniques

[QUOTE]
“What type? People being taken ill or dying, equipment not being available, or airlines being as uncaring as FR were after the event?”

All of the above!!! no specifically people dying on flights through a lack of proper medical equipment and or training.

With regards to what is carried on British airways it is good to hear that they havew such a good kit.This was also said to be the case with Aer Lingus again with a caller to the National Radio station who claimed to be an ALT employee…

Is this the case on all Ba flights or long haul only? Are there regulations about what has to be carried?

Is this type of occurrence widespread?

What type? People being taken ill or dying, equipment not being available, or airlines being as uncaring as FR were after the event?

Has anyone details of what has to be carried ?

Believe it or not at one time the only thing airlines were required to carry onboard was pain relief, so a packet of paracetamol would do it. I don’t know to what extent that has changed or what is required now.

What is carried varies from airline to airline, some have a very basic kit of the sort of things you would have at home, while others are far better equipped. At BA (and I understand also at VS) the first aid kits and equipment would put some doctors surgeries in the shade. Controlled drugs, defibrillators, direct links to medical assistance services, etc., etc.

1L.