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TEMPE,
Ariz. (February 3,
2003) According to 2002 statistics, airlines had their hands full in
managing passenger medical-related issues.
Statistics show that during the year, flight crews of 40 airlines
called on-the-ground physicians more than 8,400 times for assistance in
dealing with inflight medical incidents and emergencies – the most
common of which was people fainting.
The
statistics are based on the inflight medical incidents and emergencies
onboard airlines that utilize the services of MedAire
– a company that provides airlines with 24/7 inflight access to
hospital-based emergency room physicians.
More than 65 percent of all inflight medical emergencies fell
under one of just five different types of events:
1)
Vasovagal (i.e. fainting)
21.5%
2)
Gastrointestinal
15.4%
3)
Respiratory
10.2%
4)
Cardiac
9.6%
5)
Neurological
8.7%
MedAire’s
president and CEO, Joan Sullivan Garrett, attributes the overall rise of
inflight medical incidents to the increasing average age of travelers,
stress and because more sick passengers are attempting to fly.
“Often times travelers will attempt trips with complete
disregard for any medical conditions they might already have. The declining flexibility in being able to make changes to
travel plans due to change fees and/or the prospects of forfeiting the
cost of a ticket may also be influencing people’s willingness to risk
flying when they really shouldn’t.”
Dr.
David Streitwieser, medical director at MedAire’s MedLink Global
Response Center – a 24/7 communications center that managed these
remote medical emergencies, says that it’s no surprise that vasovagal
episodes remain the top medical category.
“We are helping cabin crew manage these situations everyday,”
says Streitwieser. “A
common scenario occurs when a passenger has been sitting comfortably for
several hours then gets up suddenly to use the lavatory.
The passenger becomes very pale and dizzy and then collapses to
the floor in an apparent faint. When
managing the situation, it’s important to stay calm, remember your
ABCs and check the passenger to make sure he or she is still breathing
and has a pulse.”
Vasovagal
episodes often happen suddenly and appear to occur more frequently at
high altitude. A variety of
stimuli can cause vasovagal reactions including nausea, pain, fear and
anxiety, urinary urgency, abdominal discomfort and motion sickness.
Standing up will accelerate the drop in blood pressure that
occurs during these reactions and exacerbates the dizziness and
weakness.
The
MedLink Global Response Center is located within the emergency
facilities of Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center – a Level 1
Trauma Center in Phoenix, Ariz. Calls,
which are received by communication specialists and managed by
board-certified emergency physicians, are taken 24-hours-a-day from
commercial airlines, business aviation flight departments and maritime
operators.
- About
MedAire
- Established
in 1986, MedAire offers fully integrated health and security
solutions including remote emergency assistance services, training
and education programs, specialized resources such as medical and
security kits and a network of international-standard medical
clinics in Asia. MedAire provides services to commercial airlines throughout
the world, corporate flight departments, government agencies,
military, maritime operators, and international business travelers
and expatriates. MedAire,
listed under MDE on the Australian Stock Exchange, can be found on
the Internet at www.medaire.com.
-
- MedAire
Contact:
- Brant
Galloway, 480.333.3736, E-mail: bgalloway@medaire.com
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