You recline your seat back, adjust your neck pillow, eye mask and close your eyes. Finally you are about to have that well earned nap. It was exhausting having to get up at 3am to head to the airport for this unpleasantly scheduled early flight. As your mind drifts towards sleep your thoughts are interrupted by a loud announcement by one of the cabin crew.

"If anyone with medical experience is onboard can you please make yourselves known to the cabin crew?"

You gently pull your mask aside and see two cabin crew applying oxygen and crouching over a passenger lying supine at the front of the aircraft. You quietly glance around the aircraft - no one else seems to have volunteered to help........

If you have any medical, nursing or paramedical training and you occasionally fly on an aeroplane then this talk could well be relevant to you!

This week I am joined by Ilan, one of our anaesthetic fellows and the current education fellow. Ilan is also a licensed pilot and has an interest in inflight medical emergencies and their management. Join us as we discuss the physiology, epidemiology, legal issues and share some anecdotes on this fascinating topic.

Thanks Ilan!

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3789915/ - In flight medical emergencies Western J Emerg Medicine 2013

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2719313 - In flight medical emergencies JAMA 2018

https://onepagericu.com/in-flight-medical?rq=flight -

https://www.casa.gov.au/ - Australian Aviation Governing Authority where all the legal requirements for flight operations in Australia can be found

https://insightplus.mja.com.au/2017/39/what-is-my-duty-to-assist-in-emergency/ - Duty to Assist in MJA

https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/medical-good-samaritans-and-the-law-what-gps-need