Calgary doctor treats patient 11,000 metres in the sky

A Calgary-based family physician set up an emergency room almost 11,000 metres in the sky last week.

CBC health columnistDr. Raj Bhardwaj said he and three other medical professionals responded to an airplane crew's call for doctors when a medical emergency arose on his flight home to Canada.

"It's never a thing that we want to hear, it's always kind of anxiety-provoking trying to do medicine on board a plane," he told the Calgary Eyeopener.

"It's like trying to do an interview on a motorboat."

Bhardwaj said he was halfway into his flight, on his way home after a vacation in Europe, when crew members asked for medical personnel over the speaker because a passenger was experiencing chest pains.

A specialist, retired specialist and cardiac nurse on the flight also responded to the request.

The team assessed the patient, and although they didn't have access to an ECG machine to check his heart's activity, they treated him using an in-flight medical kit.

"We gave him oxygen, and luckilyhis pain went away," Bhardwaj said.

They monitored the patient for the remaining five hours on board, he said, adding they met with paramedics at the gate when they got off the flight.

Unlikely occurrence

This marks the fifth time in 20 years the Calgary doctor has responded to an in-flight medical emergency an unlikely occurrence considering such emergencies are estimated to take place every one in 604 flights, and Bhardwaj isn't a frequent flyer.

These emergencies take place in a pressurized environment the equivalent to being at an altitude of 1,500to 2,400metres.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2013 found fainting is the most common emergency, followed by respiratory problems, nausea and vomiting and heart issues.

It found everything from stomach pains to seizures and allergic reactions to strokes have also taken place on flights.

However, the study found it's rare any emergency results in an airplane diverting from a planned route or death.

In this case, Bhardwaj said, the captain told him they could turn around and go back to Europe if need be since there wasn't really anywhere else to land that would've had helpful medical services.

Ethical obligation

If there aren't any doctors available or if professionals on board aren't trained to treat a certain illness, airlines can contact experts from an emergency call centre on the ground to provide real-time advice.

"There's not a legal obligation, but there sure is, I think, a moral and ethical obligation to help," Bhardwaj said about responding to medical emergencies in the sky.

He added it's helpful to have others to work alongside when these emergencies come up.

"In a situation like that, where you're totally out of your environment, it's really helpful to have another set of eyes, another brain."

Passenger tips

Airplanes aren't the ideal environment for an emergency room.

"You're in a really bad environment for trying to do even simple things like checking blood pressure because all you can hear is the plane when you put the stethoscope on somebody," Bhardwaj said.

The team of professionals on board the flight last week found a first class seat to use to treat the passenger experiencing chest pains, but Bhardwaj said there still wasn't a lot of space to work with.

So how can passengers help avoid these situations altogether?

Bhardwaj suggests passengers with health issues:

• Pack all their medications in a carry-on bag.
• Keep a list of medications and their generic names with them when flying.
• Be honest about their medical history with professionals on flights so they can make the right decisions.

As for everyone else on the airplane, Bhardwaj said, it's important they listen to and co-operate with flight attendants and other in-flight staff in order to make sure the medical emergency is handled smoothly.

With files from Calgary Eyeopener.