'Code blue' in the air: implications of rendering care during in-flight medical emergencies.

摘要

To the Editor: It has been estimated that nearly 2 billion people travel on commercial airlines each year. As more elderly people (often with preexisting disease) take to the air the incidence of in-flight illnesses/medical emergencies is expected to increase. The management of in-flight medical emergencies requires an integrated emergency response system that ensures rapid notification of medical ground personnel (many airlines in the USA provide around-the-clock air-to-ground radio consultation either with their own medical department personnel or contracted medical consultants), assistance from appropriately trained flight crews (it is not uncommon for the flight attendants to receive training in first-aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and operation of automated external defibrillators) and on board passenger volunteers (if available).