I'm planning a trip to Europe this fall, and I've heard some horror stories from coworkers about medical emergencies that occurred on their flights on vacations.
Since I will have submitted a passport, they will be aware of what kinds of people are on the plane, occupationally speaking. (Not that I would hide... I'd help if no one else was willing... but you see where I'm coming from, I'm sure!)
I'm a new nurse, so I haven't really developed my "gut feelings" yet...
I know I need to utilize my BLS (and now ACLS) skills...I know airway comes first....I know that I need to work my way down the ABC's.... but it's so different when you have no equipment, no drugs, no diagnostics, and no help.
Share your stories, pointers, and any helpful hints, so I can relax on my flight to Italy :)
Regarding the issue of responding,there is a Good Samaritan law which protects medical personnel as well as laymen. You will not be sued for 'negligence' or 'gross negligence'
I hate to disagree with so many over the past 24 hrs over legal stuff/insurance, but I have to respectfully disagree, again. You definitely can be sued, as evidenced in the link you provided and the standard is gross negligence (in TX).
Good for you for helping that individual.
Also, for the OP, the link supports that in some states you can be punished for NOT helping.
regarding the issue of responding,there is a good samaritan law which protects medical personnel as well as laymen. you will not be sued for 'negligence' or 'gross negligence'
i recently responded to an emergency on an airline, along w/ 2 physicians. the patient was sitting in the aisle pale, diaphoretic,her pulse was thready, one 'family practice' physician was talking away with her. interviewing.... he was in front of me.he kept trying to dismiss me.. i asked the flight attendant for a bp cuff, the "md" kept saying excuse me, i'm trying to talk to her,i'm a physician......mean while i'm telling him we have to lay her down,taking forever, (2nd md just watched).
finally the emerg bag comes,he couldn't get her bp p several tries, then turns to me and asks for my help :icon_roll bp is 70/palp, i lay her down along 3 seats, knees bent, headflat, put on o2. i 'interviewed 'her in 1 minute, hx cabg 10 yrs ago,on htn meds, took them that day, no dm ,ate,no cp,sob,no etoh or anxiety meds,got very hot before almost passing out,(it was very hot in flight) she probably vagaled,but w/her cardiac hx i was extra cautious
i stayed w/the "pt",rechecking her bp, color improved, decision was made not to divert the flight as we were closer to landing. eventually bp was140/90 ( her nl per pt) pulse 70 rrr, paramedics came on and took her off in a stretcher, physician thanked me, and apologized profusely.. airline took my name,address phone #, that was end of nov.,
here's the link to the law.... i think if you can help, you should try..i've helped at 2 car accidents,i will stop if no medical personnel are on the scene, i think it goes beyond whether we have to stop or will be sued,etc. we should help our fellow man out of moral and civil obligation
ethically sure, we should always help everyone. but it isn't a good thing for someone to show their gratitude by suing. and good sam laws protect only so far. she needs to be wise. humane and moral but wise. how to balance someone else's good with our own?:icon_roll:uhoh3::redbeathe:pumpiron:
Specializes in Gyn Onc, OB, L&D, HH/Hospice/Palliative.
Ethically sure, we should always help everyone. But it isn't a good thing for someone to show their gratitude by suing. And Good Sam laws protect only so far. She needs to be wise. Humane and moral but wise. How to balance someone else's good with our own?:icon_roll:uhoh3::redbeathe:pumpiron:
I guess if it's me in the other peron's shoes, I will pray for a moral, ethical and unwise person to help me... and if they tried to resuscitate me with a sledge hammer, I would sue
I have been in flight and the call went out, I had a bad cold at the time and hoped someone would answer but after second call I responded. It was a young guy 26 yrs old diaphoretic, pale, inc of urine with syncope episode. Pt had no past medical history stated he did eat that day no diabetic history. He reported a headache just before the episode and had a thready pulse with BP 86/45. They would not allow me to lay him on the floor with his feet up but did ley me lay him across the 3 seats (big guy so he was very cramped) and I put oxygen on him. He was very afraid and traveling alone and we did land in Denver where EMS came and took him. Never found out what the cause was, the headache prior to it all worried me alot.
The airlines bumped my husband and I to first class the rest of our flight and sent me a very nice letter thanking me for responding and helping. The thing that bothered me was only being able to to do basic care, I would have liked to start an IV and given some fluids for that low BP. Even though I was congested and felt miserable at the high altitude I am glad I was there to help the patient and keep things calm.
Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.
when dh and i were working in a large, west coast hospital we flew to the east coast for his dd's first holy communion. at the airport on the way home, we were surprised to see a physician we both worked with, also waiting for our flight. we chatted briefly with aaron, then lost track of him as our flight began to board.
about two hours into the flight, the man sitting two rows ahead of us began to act very strangely. he'd get up and go to the toilet, amble up and down the aisles, and he smelled of vomit, feces and other unnamed substances. after a few trips up and down the aisle, the flight attendants started to chat with him, and shortly the call for "a doctor on board" went out. dh and i, both critical care nurses, slumped down in our seats and tried to be invisible. the call went out a second time, and to our great relief, we heard a thank you to the physician. to our great surprise, it was aaron.
aaron sat with the man for the rest of the flight, asking him questions, holding a basin for him to barf into and trying to be reassuring. dh and i sat and watched from a distance. our flight landed early, without the usual circling the airport and an ambulance came and carted the guy off.
dh kidded aaron about getting to try his hand at nursing care, and said he was surprised that aaron had volunteered. "i didn't," he said. "my seat mate volunteered me. and if i'd needed you guys, i would have been hollering for you by name!"
that would have been ok. i wouldn't have minded working with a physician i know and trust. but i'd have a hard time working under the direction of a dentist, dermatologist or pathologist.
my advice to the original poster is to relax and enjoy your flight. chances are you'll never hear that dreaded announcement "is there a doctor on board?" and chances are if you do hear it, someone else will jump up to answer it first.
In addition to the first aid kits, one emergency medical kit is supplied in the cockpit with items such as epinephrine, nitro tabs, tylenol (?) and a spighmonemeter with stethescope. More recently per FAA laws, an AED is also available in the cockpit as well. Please know that ALL flight attendants are trained on the use and operation of the AED. However, the flight crew is not allowed to administer the items (meds) in the emergency medical kit. This is when a medical/healthcare individual would be called over the public address system for assistance.
So what if there were no medical personnel on the flight and someone was in anaphylactic shock? You still couldn't give an epi pen??? That's a scary thought!
as for having a med bag on board with meds, uh...so they just hope to gosh someone will answer and give the meds? or can they get the order to do it? i doubt that, but that would be weird.
I was a have done many an MVA, i cant imagine being on a flight and not helping, but i also can imagine being asked if they should divert the flight.. that would make me stumble more than anything else i think ever could!
The airlines bumped my husband and I to first class the rest of our flight
Nice......I got nothing AND I'd sat with "my in-flight patient" until they got her safely off the plane, leaving my DH by himself
Not that I begrudge helping out with the sick lady, I would do it again.....but I guess that's UK airlines for you.....if you ain't paid for it, you ain't getting it :icon_roll
Was put in 1st class for the second leg of our flight after the pt was turned over to ems. Since I had to write a brief report they even drove us to that flight in one of their little courtesy carts so we would not miss that flight. It was very nice that the airline did this though.
Specializes in Dialysis, Nephrology & Cosmetic Surgery.
I was on a flight from Bangkok to Dudai when the man across the aisle from me took ill. I had been in Thailand for a wedding and was sitting next to the brides parents who kindly alerted the FA that I was a nurse. This man was diaphoretic and unresponsive, he was also very large and I was frantically trying to find a pulse, I couldn't find one as all I could feel was the vibration of the planes engines and he was very chubby around his neck. The man was travelling with a female ? his daughter, they were Russian and spoke no English and no one on the flight spoke Russian!! I asked the FA to help me get him out of his seat to try and get him flat, he was actually wedged in his seat and the arm rest didn't move so I'm frantically trying to lift this man - don't know why I thought I could possibly do this (possibly the free in flight drinks I had taken full advantage of) ? Anyway next minute his eyes open - and is slowly regaining consciousness, trying to get some history from a Russian who speaks no English and my only Russian is Smirnoff and Vladivar is not easy. I think I established he had no history of heart probs, diabetes etc - all done with sign language. I feel embarrased to say I still couldn't palpate a pulse or get a BP reading using a manual sphyg as all I could hear and feel was the planes engines. When we landed at Dubai an ambluance crew boarded the plane but he refused to go with them.
When we were in the airport terminal I saw him in the line to go through to his connecting flight, but later one of our party seen him in the medical centre.
Reading through this thread with all the legal talk has me wondering what would happen if - as in my case - a nurse / doc had had a few drinks should they decline to assist. It never occurred to me until now - not that I was drunk, but still, I know I was over the drink drive limit!
:icon_roll:uhoh3::redbeathe:pumpiron:
Weeping Willow
136 Posts
Legally, you might not be required to volunteer. Check with an attorney.
Ethically is another matter but legally you might be quite free not to get involved.