Two off-duty doctors jumped into action and came to the rescue of an Etihad Airways flight attendant who collapsed in the aisle after suffering a life-threatening allergic reaction and going into anaphylaxis, it has been revealed.
A medical emergency 38,000 feet
As reported by the popular aviation Facebook page ‘A Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge,’ the young Etihad crew member was working on a daily flight between the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa and the airline’s home hub in Abu Dhabi on December 1 when they were suddenly taken gravely sick during the four-hour flight.
Anaphylaxis is an incredibly serious medical emergency that requires rapid intervention to prevent serious injury or even death.
In this case, however, the crew member couldn’t have found better care from two off-duty Indian physicians who just happened to be on the flight, who stepped up to help treat the flight attendant.
By the time they were alerted to the serious situation that was unfolding, Dr. M. Gopinathan and Dr. Sudharshan Balaji of MGM Healthcare in Chennai found he already had dangerously low oxygen levels that necessitated immediate intervention.
With access to a special onboard medical kit reserved for use by healthcare professionals, the two doctors administered a regimen of steroids, bronchodilators, and antihistamines to stabilize the crew member’s condition as the plane flew into Abu Dhabi.
After an hour of intensive treatment, the crew member’s breathing stabilized, and he was both conscious and responsive on arrival, where he was taken to the hospital for further treatment.
Cabin crew are trained to treat anaphylaxis and other serious medical emergencies
Flight attendants from around the world undergo rigorous First Aid training before they are ever allowed to step foot onboard an airplane as a working crew member, and every year, their skills are put through their paces in annual ‘recurrent’ training.
The list of First Aid skills cabin crew are taught is impressively long and includes dealing with a collapsed casualty who has fainted, managing choking, recognising and managing breathing difficulties like asthma and hyperventilation, sudden illnesses like chest pain, stroke, low blood sugar, allergic reactions, deep vein thrombosis, barotrauma, decompression illness, and even substance misuse.
Flight attendants must also learn how to deal with fractures, burns, and amputations, along with communicable diseases and infection control procedures.
In many cases, cabin crew will call upon the assistance of off-duty medical professionals were are willing and able to help in the case of an in-flight emergency, but if there are none available, the crew can often call upon ground-based doctors using the plane’s satellite phone for 27/7 support anywhere in the world.
Some airlines now ban passengers from eating nuts to avoid allergic reactions
While a contentious issue, some airlines are taking the threat posed by allergy sufferers suffering anaphylaxis mid-flight increasingly seriously. British Airways and EasyJet are just two of the well-known carriers that will refuse to serve nuts onboard if anyone alerts them to the fact that they are allergic.
The same cannot, however, be said of all airlines, and allergy sufferers are often caught off guard when they fly a different carrier and find out the hard way that their allergy is left completely up to them to manage.
Many international carriers will not stop serving nuts if someone has a serious air-borne allergy, and it is uncommon for airlines to make announcements or let passengers pre-board so they can wipe down their seat area.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) urges passengers who suffer from severe allergies to discuss their medical needs with their personal physician ahead of travel, and to carry any required medication with them.
Airlines are not legally required to carry life-saving EpiPens
Epinephrine autoinjectors like EpiPens are one of the quickest ways to reverse the life-threatening symptoms of anaphylaxis, but you might be surprised to learn that most airlines are not legally required to carry EpiPens in their onboard medical kits.
In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) only requires commercial airlines to carry Epinephrine in vial format in their emergency medical kits.
The Epinephrine then has to be delivered via syringe, but this requires the assistance of an off-duty physician, nurse, or paramedic who just happens to be on the flight.
Southwest Airlines is, however, one of a handful of U.S. carriers that voluntarily carries Epinephrine autoinjectors in its onboard medical kit – a decision it made last February after a campaign by a host of U.S. Senators to get airlines to improve onboard medical provisions.
Bottom line
The quick thinking of two off-duty doctors potentially saved the life of a young Etihad Airways flight attendant after they suffered a dangerous allergic reaction during a flight from Addis Ababa to Abu Dhabi on December 1.
If you are going to be gender neutral, be consistent. Twice you use “they” and then twice you use “he.” In this report why try to be gender neutral, as the name of the flight attendant is not used nor any indication that that individual wishes to use the plural pronouns. Too trendy for words.