International Escort Flights

[TTTracy]

Are any of you escorting BLS transfers internationally? Are there any specific areas of difficulty that you have? Have you had any conflicts with other passengers on the plane becoming ill and requiring medical attention?

Thank you.

[MQ Edna]

TTTracey, I am a flight nurse and often do BLS international transfers, some stretcher cases and some ambulent patients.I have discovered that on almost every flight I do, I am asked to assist with another passenger somewhere on the flight. These requests vary from setteling crying babies to advising passengers on a variety of medical ailments. We never refuse as it is a good PRO practice for our company. Another common problem is the morbid curiosity of other passengers, particulary with a stretcher case, the airline stretcher comes with a curtain that surrounds the patient and I have on occassion had other passengers walking past and opening the curtain to see what is wrong with the patient. I have also discovered that not all flights are non-smoking and the stretcher is always at the back of the aircraft, in the smoking section which is a huge problem for a non-smoking patient.

[WillsRN]

Yeah, it happens almost every international flight. Funny thing is most of the time doctors will not identify themselves as such

and let you do all the dirty work. Last summer I had a critical but stable patient

aboard an Olympic Air flight going to Greece.

After the crew served lunch several passengers became sick, rushed to the bathroom and three

passed out in the isleways. Guess who got

dragged away from his patient and guess who

finally identified themselves as a doctor

after all the smoke cleared?