Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
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Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
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Just wondering if anyone has responded to those famous words: "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?" What was the situation and how did you respond? Did you feel any reluctance to respond? Was
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Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
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Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
posted at 3/2/2012 12:41 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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*Moderator*
Posts: 630
First: 7/4/2011 Last: 18/5/2012 |
Just wondering if anyone has responded to those famous words: "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?" What was the situation and how did you respond? Did you feel any reluctance to respond? Was it difficult treating someone with a crowd of people looking over you? |
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Re: Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
posted at 3/2/2012 1:18 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 851
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 20/5/2012 |
No, but a colleague, an anaesthesia and intensive care specialist did. He pressed his button, and in a moment the stewradess came. "Can I help? I'm an anaesthetist." "Thank you, sir! But it's all right, we already have a physiotherapist!" John PS Plenty more stories in back issues of the BMJ: http://www.bmj.com/content/327/7420/933.4?tab=responses http://www.bmj.com/content/317/7160/701.1?tab=responses http://www.bmj.com/rapid-response/2011/10/27/let-us-keep-health-care-noble-high-skies The mode seems to be epistaxis and anxiety. But I'm sure there was article about this, the facilities that a volunteering medic might expect on an aeroplane and the question of demonstrations of gratitude from the airline, but I can't find it. |
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Re: Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
posted at 3/2/2012 1:27 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 371
First: 13/4/2011 Last: 21/5/2012 |
Hello Matthew: As I have worked overseas for years, it happened to me being the doctor to respond to this question on the plane a few times even during international flights. My colleagues very frequently putted-me in charge of the patients because of being also an ICU physician. It is not a comfortable situation for the physician, but for sure much more uncomfortable for the sick passenger, and also for ethical reasons we must do our job and go to attend the patient. The worst situations were 2 episodes of cardiogenic syncope "in the sky", but I did have also to treat 1 passenger with deep venous thrombosis with suspected pulmonary embolism and another passenger with suspected acute coronary syndrome. In my experience the airflight companies, need to have more medical resources. Fortunately only once I had to speak strong with the crew (Telling them that I was giving a medical order!!!) because the patient needed to stay laying down with oxygen until the end of the flight, and the crew told-me that there was no space available for that in the flight. But the appropriate available space was then found. All Best, Joey
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Re: Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
posted at 3/2/2012 1:47 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 12
First: 10/2/2010 Last: 9/3/2012 |
I have done this twiceFirst on a flight from Barbados to Toronto. Old guy had chest pain 1 hour before arrival. I thought it probably unstable angina. Can't hear a thing with the stethoscope, no monitor. Not in heart failure,as far as I could tell so I told the captain probably not worth diverting. Lots of documentation required, which fortunately I had with me. had the paramedics meet the plane, not all that complicated. Second time not so easy. 1 hour out of Calgary on the way to Toronto. They asked if there a nurse or a doc on board so I stayed in my seat and shut up. 2 minutes later they asked if a doc on board please identify themselves "please". I got up. In the back of the plane a guy semiconscious and obnoxious and threshing about. Vaguely smelt of drink. Got out of him he an insulin-dependent diabetic, been drinking all night, no grub, and took his usual insulin dose. Opened the bag. Flight attendants look really agitated. No Documentation this time, anyone who could fix it would do. No Dextrostix, though there should have been. No IV glucose, though there should have been. One out of date phial of glucagon. Guy sort of consents to an injection so I gave it before he changes his mind. ( would have got one of the flight crew to help if he refused) 3 minutes later hes coherent enough to get some coca cola into him and he remains a bit woozy but reasonably all right, apologetic for the aggro. He walked off the plane in hogtown by himself. I spent the last three hours of the flight in the back with the guy. Got a bottle of decent champagne from the flight crew and upgrade to first class on my next flight. Fight crew very relieved. I'd do it again , though the airlines are parsimonious in rewarding you for good behaviour. I think there's good samaritan legislation here , and I despise malpractice lawyers anyway, so I haven't let liability worry me very much |
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Re: Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
posted at 3/2/2012 2:29 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 371
First: 13/4/2011 Last: 21/5/2012 |
Once I got very late for a very early European Flight. So I was admitted to the flight with no rights even for food during the flight. Just before the departure I´ve heard: Please, show-up any doctor on board, it is an emergency! I went there, the lady was unconcious, no pulses, and her neighbour told-me she was taking amiodarone. I gave her an immediate blow in the chest, she "waked-up" immediately. I told the crew to stop the departure, and that was done. She was transferred to a hospital. I was transferred to first class and rewarded with a nice Ferrari big bottle of champagne and a CD of Mozart. This crew was quick and compliant with my medical orders. I think that In the sky there should be no medical advices, only medical orders and pragmatism. All Best, Joey |
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Re: Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
posted at 3/2/2012 3:44 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2
First: 10/1/2012 Last: 3/2/2012 |
It happenbed to me few time while travelling to islamabad on PIA flights .once an old lady with cancer was complaining of severe pain.I ruled out chest pain or PE ,she had no medications with her.In flight medical box only had Ibuprofen, no injectable pain killers were available.gave her ibuprofen and prayed for her :) Second time it was an asthmatic attack just before departure .checked his BP and did auscultations.He was fine after few puffs of meds. No first class up gradation or wine for me though had to fill flights incident medical form . there is only little available in inflight medical box .Not sure if they have AEDs . Rest of the flight i just kept thinking about patients and checking them back ..............  |
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Re: Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
posted at 3/2/2012 4:08 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 851
First: 12/3/2010 Last: 20/5/2012 |
Gotcha! 2001, "In flight medical emergemcies": http://www.bmj.com/content/321/7272/1338?sso= And more recent , "Cabin Fever", 2008: http://www.bmj.com/content/321/7272/1338?sso= John |
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Re: Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
posted at 3/2/2012 10:38 PM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 371
First: 13/4/2011 Last: 21/5/2012 |
Thanks for the article John D. The most bizarre scenario I´ve met was in a domestic 3 hours flight. I was called about 40 minutes after departure......I attended a young man with a panic attack. He was petrified and scared to death, but otherwise this his physical exam was normal. I asked him: Do you take any pills for anxiety? He said Yes, they are on my suit pocket. It was Alprazolam. I gave him an oral 2 mg dose and requested a member of the crew to sit at his side for the rest of the flight after I reassured him that he was OK and the flight was going well. In a few words that he would not die. It worked, I came back to my sitting place and was not called again. This was my first and only shrink experience in the sky. All Best, Joey
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Re: Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
posted at 4/2/2012 12:41 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 152
First: 17/12/2011 Last: 20/5/2012 |
A few RTA, pulled a man out of upturned car, I visited him later in hospital, wrist fracture ( not caused by me!), he did well. A couple of other RTA s but I am fairly de skilled now so a relief when Ambulance and paramedics arrive. One incident on short haul plane from UK to Bristol to Faro. My wife was keeping seat for me. When my wife wanted seat next to her and said my husband is coming . Chap said where is he , 'in the terminal building?' wife points at me and things sorted . Man disgruntled . .Any way about an hour into the flight man' wife taken ill. He asks stewardess and she asks is there a Doctors so I went to sort her out. Probable mainly anxiety. Some years ago I think medicine kit has sphygmomanometer and I think a minor tranquillise which I gave her and she did ok. I don't think Easy-jet do first class or bottles of champagne!! More serious incident on Holiday in Kinta in Alentegio In Portugal . I came back from a Birding trip and one of other guests had been I'll all day. No kit, but thready pulse,fever, very poor cardiac out put. 4 kilometres up an unmade road. Phoned Ambulance , our friend who is the owner of the Kinta speaks Portuguese but the telephonist spoke English. Ambulance arrived in about 20 minutes. Two good Paramedics, one of whom spoke excellent English.Drip up, Oxygen and off To Faro. He was in ITU for a week. Then 2 weeks in a convalescent Hospital (how I wish we had these in the UK) anyway he did well. I think if a Portuguese man had been taken as I'll in the UK , firstly no one would have spoken his language and secondly I think the treatment he received was first class. As far as I know it was though to be some sort of septic cardiogenic shock no MI as far as I know. |
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Re: Have you ever responded to "is there a doctor in the house/on the plane?"
posted at 8/2/2012 11:03 AM GMT
on bmj.com
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Posts: 2075
First: 10/3/2009 Last: 18/5/2012 |
I have been involved in many roadside accidents as a doctor (probably a dozen) and have done some harrowing aeromedical retrievals of over one thousand kilometers in our state and in the UN (helicopter, kevlar and rifle). I was once on a long flight as Australians are want to do (we don't call them long as they are all long) and was called to see a sick man. When I arrived, another younger doctor arrived at the same time. I looked at him and he at me. He had several years before been my resident. I had not seen him for years. We exchanged greetings as brothers. I said to him, this sounds more like a GP problem (he told me he was a GP) than thoracic, ICU or sleep. I returned to my seat. He fixed the man. This has never happened again. The two planets had an occultation that day. My wife used to say I atrracted chaos. It has not happened for a while now. Perhaps the Fates are giving me a break.
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