Feeling sick on the plane: know what the airline should do

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Flight attendants are trained to provide first aid. Doctors present on the flight must come forward to help with the treatment. Airplane Sean MacEntee on VisualHunt Have you ever thought about what can happen if you feel sick while traveling in an airplane, thousands of feet above the ground? Although there is no time to rush to a hospital, airlines have a procedure for how to treat patients in an emergency. This Friday (21), lawyer Sara Silva Raimundo, 32, died after suffering a cardiac arrest on a flight to the United States. The lawyer felt sick during the flight. The aircraft even made an emergency landing and was taken to a hospital near the airport, but it did not resist. Know the procedures: What should the company do? Should the plane land? Is there any way to prevent it? What happens in case of death? What should the company do? When someone becomes ill on a commercial flight, the first reaction of flight attendants will be to ask if there is a doctor among the passengers. The healthcare professional must come forward because of their code of ethics. If he does not do this, he can be punished if someone knows that he is a doctor and that he decided not to provide help, explains the president of the Brazilian Society of Aerospace Medicine (SBMA), Rozania Sobreira. From there, the patient is taken to the galley, a space where the attendants serve snacks, which can accommodate the application of the necessary procedures. All flights have a box that can only be opened by doctors. In it, there are drugs and equipment that allow for more invasive treatments, such as intubation. There is also a second box, which can be opened by other health professionals, such as nurses, and by flight attendants. It contains other types of items, bandages and pressure gauge, for example. But not every flight will have a passenger who works in the health area, so the role of flight attendants goes far beyond serving snacks, says Rozania. All have training to apply first aid, such as performing cardiac massage. In addition to these measures, on longer flights, some airlines offer remote advice from doctors specialized in aerospace medicine, to help when someone becomes ill on board. The team will advise the crew on how the passenger should be treated. Return to the beginning of the report. Should the plane land? The commander is the highest flight authority and it is up to him to make that decision. Rozania says that the attending physician can advise if the case requires landing, but that he cannot determine. She explains that the reason for this is because landing out of plan can bring risks for all passengers and stress for the crew, aggravating the possibility of accidents if the gas tank is still full – leaving the plane heavier and with more risk of overturning. hit the ground hard and be damaged – and the nearest airport does not have the adequate structure. In some cases, the commander can lower the flight altitude, ranging from 8,000 feet to 6,000 feet, which causes the air pressure to decrease, improving the quality of oxygen in the environment. This is because at this moment the cabin changes its characteristics in relation to pressurization. “With this procedure, most people have an improvement”, says the doctor. Return to the beginning of the report. Are you going to travel with the pet? See what precautions to take on the plane Can you prevent it? There are ways to reduce the chances of getting sick on the plane. The aircraft’s environment is different from what we are used to because of the height, which is around 8,000 feet, equivalent to Mount Everest, in Chile, explains Rozania. Although the plane is a very safe means of transport, there are some health conditions that can be aggravated when at altitude, says the president of the SBMA. Some examples are severe anemia, post surgery, pneumonia, ear infection and cases of blood pressure and diabetes without medication. For this reason, it is up to passengers, when they have an illness, to fill in the Information Form for Passengers with Special Needs (MEDIF). Afterwards, a professional specializing in aerospace medicine from the company will evaluate the document and decide whether the passenger is in a position to make the trip. The form can be sent up to 72 hours before the flight and the airline must return it up to 48 hours in advance. If the answer is negative for the trip, the customer must reschedule the flight. Extra cost charges may happen depending on each company’s policy. In addition, if the passenger has a contagious disease that is easily identified, for example, conjunctivitis and measles, the flight attendants may prevent boarding. Return to the beginning of the report. Miles to travel: find out if it’s still worth accumulating What happens in case of death? If the passenger ends up dying during the flight, the captain can decide whether he wants to make an emergency landing or continue to the planned destination for the trip, says the president of the SBMA. When the landing takes place, the team from the Brazilian Airport Infrastructure Company (Infraero) should already be waiting for the aircraft at the airport to receive the body. In addition, the plane will be held for expertise. Return to the beginning of the report. Are you traveling alone? Women give safety tips Delayed or canceled flight? See passenger rights Are you traveling alone? Women give tips Visa to the US will be more expensive; see how long it may take to get a document

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