In flight Emergency with the proper equipment

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Specializes in ED.

Question: you are on an airline being asked to intervene in a "medical emergency"...chest abd pain of 10. You open the airline's med bag and the morphine is in ampules. Of course no filter needle.... The MD is on the radio telling you to give it anyway. What do you do? What are you liable for?

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Specializes in Cardiothoracic ICU.

Give it of course. Better to relieve cardiac ischemia w/ morphine than worry about legal battles in the future; just my opinion, especially if a doctor gave the order.

You may be held accountable for negligence if you didnt do as the doctor ordered.

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i guess this isn't the point of your thread, but...

there is some research which shows that morphine is not great for MI patients.

http://www.dukehealth.org/health_library/news/8243

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, ICU/CCU/NICU, EMS, Transport.

Hmmm, interesting post.

Quick reply to OP - did you find yourself in this situation?

I personally know of several of my colleagues who have "answered" the call for a "doctor" on board a flight and had to go into the emergency medical kit. In no case did they make note of morphine being availabe; for that matter the ONLY drug that was available for cardaic (other than some ACLS meds) was nitroglycerine....

IF you did get involved and the morphine ampules were the case; I strongly suggest you contact the airline, find out the manufacturere of said kit and let them know they need a filter needle.

These experiences were even on the longer trans-atlantic and trans-pacific flights which have more extensive med kits.

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Specializes in ER, Trauma, ICU/CCU/NICU, EMS, Transport.

Here's an related question: does anyone that flies often, AND self-identifies as a medical provider, carry anything that they prefer for emergencies "in case" the EMK doesn't have what you want? I carry a king LT airway for example. Comments?

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I am a frequent flier and have never had a med emergency on any flight. You manage with whatever is on hand. Filter needles? HAHAHAHA!!!! Morphine???? You are kidding.

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Specializes in Emergency, Critical Care (CEN, CCRN).

I still had my stethoscope in my work bag when I flew to Tampa, and I always keep a handful of Tegaderms and silk tape in my toiletries kit for blister emergencies, but otherwise no. I'm not licensed for invasive airway management at this point in my career, which would be about the only "personal" supply I'd want on a crashing patient in the air.

That raises another good question, though: what exactly IS in those kits? NTG? ASA? Epi? ACLS dose, Epi-Pen, or both? (I have visions of someone going into anaphylaxis from their seatmate's packet of peanuts...) Are they standardized, or does it vary by airline? Do international carriers carry different items? (I'd expect to see APAP tablets labeled as "paracetamol" rather than "acetaminophen" in a kit on British Airways or Qantas, for example, but do they actually carry different drugs and/or supplies?)

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Specializes in Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Flight.
I still had my stethoscope in my work bag when I flew to Tampa, and I always keep a handful of Tegaderms and silk tape in my toiletries kit for blister emergencies, but otherwise no. I'm not licensed for invasive airway management at this point in my career, which would be about the only "personal" supply I'd want on a crashing patient in the air.

That raises another good question, though: what exactly IS in those kits? NTG? ASA? Epi? ACLS dose, Epi-Pen, or both? (I have visions of someone going into anaphylaxis from their seatmate's packet of peanuts...) Are they standardized, or does it vary by airline? Do international carriers carry different items? (I'd expect to see APAP tablets labeled as "paracetamol" rather than "acetaminophen" in a kit on British Airways or Qantas, for example, but do they actually carry different drugs and/or supplies?)

sidenote: tegaderms are awesome for blisters lol

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Specializes in ED.

Thanks for all the replies. It did not happen to me but someone I know and raised a bunch of questions for me.

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I am a flight attendant who will be starting nursing school in JAN. One airline I worked with used medlink, and we were told that there is no liability to the medical personnel on the plane if they follow what the Dr on the radio says to do.

The kits do vary by airline, I fly for a regional so we may not carry the same items that an overseas flight would have. The kits should all have a color coded card in the front, and the contents should also be color coded to make it easier to find items. I have been told the stethoscopes are not the greatest in the kit, but it could also be all the airplane noise that contributes to that.

I would post exactly what we have, but there are all sorts of warnings against doing that in my manual, but I can tell you we have epinephrine. I love it when I am halfway through the cabin serving peanuts, and then someone tells me they are allergic....

If you are curious what is in the kit, and you are on a longer flight the flight attendant will probably show you the list of items if you show them some credentials. We love to know when there is medical personnel on board. I have had two medicals in flight, once had two RNs and a Dr, and they were great. The second time, I had a bunch of people who thought they were Dr's, but no actual medical personel, and we had to divert the flight.

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Specializes in ED.
One airline I worked with used medlink, and we were told that there is no liability to the medical personnel on the plane if they follow what the Dr on the radio says to do.

The kits do vary by airline, I fly for a regional so we may not carry the same items that an overseas flight would have. The kits should all have a color coded card in the front, and the contents should also be color coded to make it easier to find items. I have been told the stethoscopes are not the greatest in the kit, but it could also be all the airplane noise that contributes to that..

First, I'm not taking the airline's word on liability and risking my license & personal worth per what they say.

Second, they are most likely disposable stethoscope but that is ok. I won't want inject someone with glass fragments by not having a filtered needle.

My question is: I'm over Florida with a license from California, I'm I legal to pass meds?

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