THE USE OF AUTOMATIC EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS (AEDs) ON AIRLINES IN FLIGHT

Airlines could take a lesson from the strategy of early symptom recognition of a heart attack (EHAC) Many airlines are placing AEDs for in-flight defibrillation for cardiac arrest situations and training their personnel how to use them. They could go a step further by preventing these patients from actually getting on board by asking a third question at the check-in counter.

Did you pack your bags yourself?

Have your bags been in your possession all the time?

Proposed: Have you had any central chest discomfort over the last 2 days?

The literature tells us that 50% of heart attacks are heralded by mild central chest discomfort not perceived as chest pain. When severe chest pain does occur, it generally means a total occlusion of a coronary vessel with eventual damage. In the prodromal stage, we suspect that total occlusion has not yet occurred, and that these central chest discomfort symptoms (which are milder and occur intermittently but are still recognizable) can be acted upon. Airline personnel could take a lesson from the EHAC strategy and act to prevent in-flight cardiac arrest by questioning passengers before take-off. Airlines interested in furthering this approach can contact us for additional information.

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