By studying the 12,000 medical emergency records recorded between January 2008 and October 2011 by five of the major American airlines, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered that one in-flight medical problem occurred in one in 600 planes.
Based on statistics collected from both domestic and foreign flights of the 5 airlines, the researchers estimated that an in-flight medical emergency happens 44,000 times a year around the world. The most frequent “emergencies” faced by the crew are fainting and fainting, followed by breathing problems, nausea and vomiting. “In the majority of cases, the flight attendants were able to treat the sick person using the pharmacy available on the plane. And the pilot only had to change his route to land as quickly as 7% of the time, ”explains Dr Christian Martin-Gill, professor of emergency medicine at the University of Pittsburgh.
One in four times, the sick person was evacuated to the nearest hospital after landing, and among the 12,000 “emergencies” recorded, 36 people died, most often from cardiac arrest.
For Dr. Martin-Gill, air travel is not particularly “at risk” because the planes are equipped with all the necessary equipment to deal with the most frequent emergencies. But he would like travelers suffering from chronic diseases (respiratory problems, diabetes, coronary heart disease, etc.) “to think about preparing for their trip and do not hesitate to call their general practitioner to anticipate any risks and take something to deal with them in the event of of need ”.
