Airlines have a dedicated on-call health hotline for in-flight emergencies like coronavirus onboard or a heart attack - here's how it works

Thomas Pallini

Mar 18, 2020, 00:33 IST

Airlines have a dedicated on-call health hotline for in-flight emergencies like coronavirus onboard or a heart attack - here's how it works

Medical emergencies onboard airplanes are semi-frequent occurrences in the US that require assistance from professionals that may not be traveling on board.
One company, STAT-MD, offers a communication system that connects in-flight crew with emergency room physicians on the ground to assist with diagnosis, treatment, and the determination to divert the aircraft.
The company's system was used on a Delta flight where a passenger was concerned about coming into contact with the novel coronavirus.
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"Is there a doctor on board?"

In-flight medical emergencies are common occurrences in the world's skies with any number of medical scenarios ranging from a passenger suddenly feeling ill to an in-flight pregnancy possibly occurring during a journey, turning airline staff into first responders.

A report published in the National Center for Biotechnical Information, part of the National Institutes of Health under the US National Library of Medicine, estimated that in-flight emergencies occur once every 600 flights.

Especially as today's largest aircraft are able to carry upwards of 400 passengers and fly further than ever, airlines need to consider that such an emergency may happen and in-flight crew cannot be expected to remedy every issue with only minimal medical training provided by their airlines.

When faced with such a scenario, cabin crews would normally call for a doctor with the hopes that an onboard professional could investigate the emergency and make a determination on whether the plane needed to make an emergency landing.

Physicians, however, can now attend to patients without physically being in the same room, or even on the same airplane as technology has made it possible to connect in-flight crews with doctors on the ground. Emergency hotlines onboard aircraft ensure that every medical emergency has a trained professional offering guidance and, in some cases, assisting with treatment.

Take a look at how one company provides airlines with doctors sometimes thousands of miles away to attend to potentially fatal emergencies.

While flight attendants and flight crew are trained in basic first aid, some medical emergencies require a trained medical professional such as a doctor or nurse.

If the aircraft is in the air, a professional diagnosis will greatly influence the captain's decision to divert the aircraft to a nearby airport where the passenger can be attended to.

Medical diversions, though costly for the airline, can save lives in the case of heart attack or stroke when an onboard professional isn't readily available.

Technology, however, has limited the need for a doctor to be physically on board for a decision to be made whether to divert or even to treat a sickly passenger.

One company, STAT-MD, works with major airlines in the US to directly connect in-flight crews with emergency room physicians to diagnose and treat passengers.

Working with physicians at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania, STAT-MD, an on-call hotline connecting to aircraft communications systems ensures that flight crews get expert counsel on how to treat ailing passengers.

Once the situation is assessed, the physician will make a recommendation to the captain on how to proceed, whether it be landing the plane immediately or continue onward to the destination.

If the medical emergency requires immediate treatment, STAT-MD physicians can also instruct volunteers with little to no medical experience on how to proceed.

Should a diversion be necessary, on-the-ground medical treatment will also be coordinated and the company will even follow up with patients.

The service was particularly useful during the coronavirus outbreak as a Delta Air Lines passenger on a Seattle-bound flight at New York's JFK Airport reported symptoms of COVID-19 to a flight attendant, who then turned to STAT-MD for advice, the airline confirmed.

The aircraft returned to the gate on the advice of the attending physician where the passenger was met by medical staff to be assessed.

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