Airplane Emergencies

Physicians urge airlines to develop better in-flight medical-emergency procedures.
HealthDay (5/7, Preidt) reported that the airline industry "needs to standardize procedures and equipment for in-flight medical emergencies," according to a commentary published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Over a "five-year period, European airlines identified 10,000 in-flight medical emergencies, but the issue doesn't get the attention it deserves," said Dr. study authors Melissa Mattison and Dr. Mark Zeidel, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. They also noted that US Federal Aviation Administration "requires flight attendants to be trained in CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators, yet does not require standard curriculum or testing." The authors outlined a "four-step plan to improve the handling of in-flight emergencies."