A Spanish airline worker nearly died after drinking a cup of coffee from a vending machine at Son Sant Joan airport near Palma, Majorca, earlier this month after she went into anaphylactic shock.
The 21-year-old woman had bought the cup of coffee during a break and initially noticed an odd taste before suddenly noticing that the cup of coffee was infested with insects.
The victim almost immediately started to suffer a life-threatening allergic reaction to consuming the insects as her face and throat started to swell up.
Unable to breathe, medics delivered life-saving shots of adrenaline to counter the effects of the anaphylaxis before rushing her to a local hospital where the woman had to be treated in the intensive care ward.
After 36 hours in hospital, the young victim was finally well enough to be discharged. Since her release following the April 22 incident, the victim’s family have lodged a complaint with Spanish police alleging a potential public health crime.
Unsurprisingly, the vending machine at the centre of the incident has been shut down.
Matt’s take
Up to 5% of the US population has suffered anaphylaxis at some point in their lives. While many sufferers may know exactly what they are allergic to, some victims might not have any idea that they could have a potentially life-threatening reaction to something seemingly innocuous.
That’s why Southwest recently decided to start stocking EpiPen autoinjectors, which contain a life-saving dose of Epinephrine, which can quickly reverse the effects of anaphylactic shock.
At present, the Federal Aviation Administration only requires airlines to carry single-dose vials of Epinephrine, which must be administered by a trained medical professional with a syringe. The current rules haven’t been updated since 2004.
A couple of years ago, British Airways was slammed for its policy of asking passengers not to eat their nut-based foods if a fellow passenger suffers from an airborne nut allergy. Campaigners, however, have praised BA for its industry-leading policy, which also gives allergy sufferers the right to preboard and wipe down their seat areas.
