px illness question(s)
08-09-2006, 06:50 PM
#1
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Apr 2006
Posts: 197
px illness question(s)
I'm posting here in Major but anyone that deals with px please answer (corporate, etc)...
At your respective employers, did any of you receive any kind of public health training, infectious (contagious) disease training or anything like that? Meaning, as the one in command of the a/c did anyone train you guys on what to do if a px suddenly becomes violently ill in any way? Like setting up quarantines? Do you have protective equipment for the crew (masks, gloves)? Do you know what to do once on the ground? Do FAs receive this kind of training?
If you received this kind of training, did the airline bring in a contractor/consultant to talk to you about it?
If you deal with px PLEASE try to take a second or two and let me know!
Or, if you can direct me somewhere that answers these questions also let me know!
Many thanks in advance.
animals
At your respective employers, did any of you receive any kind of public health training, infectious (contagious) disease training or anything like that? Meaning, as the one in command of the a/c did anyone train you guys on what to do if a px suddenly becomes violently ill in any way? Like setting up quarantines? Do you have protective equipment for the crew (masks, gloves)? Do you know what to do once on the ground? Do FAs receive this kind of training?
If you received this kind of training, did the airline bring in a contractor/consultant to talk to you about it?
If you deal with px PLEASE try to take a second or two and let me know!
Or, if you can direct me somewhere that answers these questions also let me know!
Many thanks in advance.
animals
08-09-2006, 08:17 PM
#2
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Dec 2005
Position: Left Seat
Posts: 1,105
Originally Posted by animals
I'm posting here in Major but anyone that deals with px please answer (corporate, etc)...
At your respective employers, did any of you receive any kind of public health training, infectious (contagious) disease training or anything like that? Meaning, as the one in command of the a/c did anyone train you guys on what to do if a px suddenly becomes violently ill in any way? Like setting up quarantines? Do you have protective equipment for the crew (masks, gloves)? Do you know what to do once on the ground? Do FAs receive this kind of training?
If you received this kind of training, did the airline bring in a contractor/consultant to talk to you about it?
If you deal with px PLEASE try to take a second or two and let me know!
Or, if you can direct me somewhere that answers these questions also let me know!
Many thanks in advance.
animals
At your respective employers, did any of you receive any kind of public health training, infectious (contagious) disease training or anything like that? Meaning, as the one in command of the a/c did anyone train you guys on what to do if a px suddenly becomes violently ill in any way? Like setting up quarantines? Do you have protective equipment for the crew (masks, gloves)? Do you know what to do once on the ground? Do FAs receive this kind of training?
If you received this kind of training, did the airline bring in a contractor/consultant to talk to you about it?
If you deal with px PLEASE try to take a second or two and let me know!
Or, if you can direct me somewhere that answers these questions also let me know!
Many thanks in advance.
animals
Bottom line don't try to solve these problems yourself. You are not alone up there, so don't act like it.
08-09-2006, 08:53 PM
#3
Chief Jeppesen Updater
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Position: Executive Transport Driver
Posts: 3,080
Agreed. The most important thing is to utilize all available resources.
Most major airlines have either company employed medical personnel (or more likely) they have subscription service to companies that provide that service, such as MedAire. The benefit of this type of program is that these outside companies often assume responsibility for liability in the event something goes wrong. We (the pilots) get patched through via an air-ground radio phone patch to Medaire and talk directly to their Docs.
Generally airline pilots aren't trained in any sort of medical techniques or first aid, simply because it isn't their job to treat an ill pax. It's their job to get the plane on the ground so that passenger can be treated by appropriately trained people.
Most companies put flight attendants through basic first aid training, including the use of the defib unit. Some companies also provide CPR training to FA's. Airliners are equipped with some basic medical equipment, including automated defib units, first aid kits, portable oxygen bottles, BP cuff, and an emergency medical kit which includes some medications such as nitro tablets, epi pens, and some other basic things that a doctor or other qualified medically trained person might utilize (the crew is generally NOT authorized to open the EMK on their own).
In the corporate environment, specialized training is more likely. At my company I am a certified Emergency First Responder, and our parent company aviation department (which has FA's) sends every flight attendant to be certified as EMTs (including recurrent training every 18 months)
Most major airlines have either company employed medical personnel (or more likely) they have subscription service to companies that provide that service, such as MedAire. The benefit of this type of program is that these outside companies often assume responsibility for liability in the event something goes wrong. We (the pilots) get patched through via an air-ground radio phone patch to Medaire and talk directly to their Docs.
Generally airline pilots aren't trained in any sort of medical techniques or first aid, simply because it isn't their job to treat an ill pax. It's their job to get the plane on the ground so that passenger can be treated by appropriately trained people.
Most companies put flight attendants through basic first aid training, including the use of the defib unit. Some companies also provide CPR training to FA's. Airliners are equipped with some basic medical equipment, including automated defib units, first aid kits, portable oxygen bottles, BP cuff, and an emergency medical kit which includes some medications such as nitro tablets, epi pens, and some other basic things that a doctor or other qualified medically trained person might utilize (the crew is generally NOT authorized to open the EMK on their own).
In the corporate environment, specialized training is more likely. At my company I am a certified Emergency First Responder, and our parent company aviation department (which has FA's) sends every flight attendant to be certified as EMTs (including recurrent training every 18 months)
Last edited by FlyerJosh; 08-09-2006 at 09:00 PM.
08-09-2006, 09:02 PM
#5
Chief Jeppesen Updater
Joined APC: Oct 2005
Position: Executive Transport Driver
Posts: 3,080
True, but you aren't a doctor. Unless you are medically trained, you shouldn't be instructing or directing medical treatment outside of the scope of your abilites.
Fly the plane. Coordinate a ground response and diversion. Stabilize the passenger to the best extent possible and get the passenger off the plane at the safest possible moment that is also appropriate for the conditions.
Fly the plane. Coordinate a ground response and diversion. Stabilize the passenger to the best extent possible and get the passenger off the plane at the safest possible moment that is also appropriate for the conditions.
08-09-2006, 09:12 PM
#6
APC co-founder
Joined APC: Feb 2005
Position: B777
Posts: 5,853
Originally Posted by animals
At your respective employers, did any of you receive any kind of public health training, infectious (contagious) disease training or anything like that? Meaning, as the one in command of the a/c did anyone train you guys on what to do if a px suddenly becomes violently ill in any way? Like setting up quarantines? Do you have protective equipment for the crew (masks, gloves)? Do you know what to do once on the ground? Do FAs receive this kind of training?
08-15-2006, 05:05 PM
#7
Gets Weekends Off
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Apr 2006
Posts: 197
Thanks everyone.
There is growing interest in the public health field in how to prevent the spread of illness on a 'common carrier transport'; just wondering if, on your end, anyone (ie your employer) has made you aware of this and if so, have they provided any training, especially in preparation for a pandemic flu.
Many exercises/run-throughs taking place today also involve what to do once the plane is on the ground - if a px is ill/at risk of spreading illness to others, how to keep additional people (crew, ground EMS) from picking the disease up.... eg, making makeshift quarantines out of hangars, etc. (out of your hands at this point, I'm assuming?)
If anyone thinks of anything else, shoot it my way.... including, if your employer has ignored this altogether!
Animals
There is growing interest in the public health field in how to prevent the spread of illness on a 'common carrier transport'; just wondering if, on your end, anyone (ie your employer) has made you aware of this and if so, have they provided any training, especially in preparation for a pandemic flu.
Many exercises/run-throughs taking place today also involve what to do once the plane is on the ground - if a px is ill/at risk of spreading illness to others, how to keep additional people (crew, ground EMS) from picking the disease up.... eg, making makeshift quarantines out of hangars, etc. (out of your hands at this point, I'm assuming?)
If anyone thinks of anything else, shoot it my way.... including, if your employer has ignored this altogether!
Animals
08-15-2006, 06:55 PM
#8
Prime Minister/Moderator
Joined APC: Jan 2006
Position: Engines Turn Or People Swim
Posts: 39,317
I think it is safe to say that any action to detain or quarantine passengers would have to come from public health / law enforcement officials, acting in accordance with laws that permit them to do that sort of thing.
I think it highly improbable that a quarantine could be established prior to landing, in response to a threat which emerged in flight. Unless there was prior information on the threat, the responsible entities probably could not respond that quickly. There would be tremendous institutional inertia on the part of all parties involved to NOT detain a planeload of passengers...
I think it highly improbable that a quarantine could be established prior to landing, in response to a threat which emerged in flight. Unless there was prior information on the threat, the responsible entities probably could not respond that quickly. There would be tremendous institutional inertia on the part of all parties involved to NOT detain a planeload of passengers...
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