"Is there a doctor in the house?!"

[Auspicious]

So, we're about an hour into a three-hour flight last week and the flight attendant comes over the PA system and says "If there is a doctor or any medical personnel on the plane, could you please come up to row six? We have a passenger having a seizure."

My husband and I look at each other like "Oh, crap," but another doctor had already gotten up and gone up there. Whew!

My husband is like "I have no idea if the malpractice they give us even covers us for something like this. And a seizure could be a lot of things . . . if it's even actually a seizure."

I med school they taught them the good samaritan laws for New York, but what law applies on airplanes? Federal law? (Is that why they have Federal Marshals on planes?)

Our flight did continue on to its destination (I wonder who made that decision--I wouldn't want to be responsible for that one) so it must have worked out, and my husband is going to ask about the malpractice thing for next time (god forbid).

Has this happened to anyone else? How did it go?

[alison]

Dh did training as a paramedic after high school and before med school, so whenever there's an accident on the road, he slows down and asks if they've already called for help. Even for fender benders.

When we were in Germany in March, there was a bad accident on the road and dh stopped to help. You have to, if you're able, I believe. And I guess as an anesthesiologist with paramedic training, he felt he had to. He LOVES this stuff.

I am wary about dh doing the same for a patient in the US. I'm sure they're ready to sue you for malpractice if anything goes wrong.

[Sheherezade]

Not on an airplane. DH and I did stop once in the middle of the night for a horrific car accident. We were the second people to stop - the first was a trucker. DH ran back and forth along the median strip evaluating the various victims thrown from the car when it flipped. He stayed until the paramedics and police arrived. Mostly DH did triage for the police and made them order a helicopter for the mom (DH said she wouldn't make it to me ). Nobody ever asked him his name or his credentials, so that didn't come up. I don't think he could have walked away, though. Bleeding children in the road are hard to ignore.

As for the Samaritan laws, I tthink they differ from state to state - and I'm not sure what the federal stance is. Let us know when you find out. It's a good thing to be aware of, but sometimes I think you are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

DH was on a flight that requested a doctor to respond to someone with heart attack symptoms. He was a urology resident at the time but they couldn't find anyone and kept making announcements so he finally raised his hand. They gave him a medical kit with asprin and bandaids and a stethescope... Then he went into the cockpit and talked to a ground paramedic team and they ended up re-routing the plane and landing.

After that DH got to sit in first class and proceeded to get very very drunk on the free drinks. As everyone was unboarding some guy went up to him and asked if it was a real heart attack. Turns out the guy asking was the CHIEF OF CARDIOLOGY at another hospital! WTF???

Oh yea, and then the airline send him a free round trip ticket voucher to anywhere!

Jodi

[SuzySunshine]

DH and I were reading this (during 1/2 time of the KU game - Go Hawks!) anyway, he thinks that the Cheif of Cardiology could have had his license revoked by his state board if someone figured out who he was and that patient died because he didn't do anything for ethical reasons.

DH thinks good samaritan laws generally protect you even if there is a poor outcome unless you represent yourself as something you're not.

[Michele]

I was under the impression that flights try to have someone 'medical' on all flights...but I was never sure how that was actually done since I never claim to be a doctor when ordering tickets and I assume most people don't either.

I found this link on Wikipedia:

http://www.cprinstructor.com/legal.htm

It doesn't discuss airplanes though.

Julie, I'm glad everything turned out ok. I can't imagine having to make the decision on whether to land the plane or not.

I believe that the US Aviation Medical Assistance Act releases individuals (including doctors) of any liability as long as they are not found guilty of gross negligence.

Entropy, DH had a similar experience with someone having heart problems. The captain wanted to know if DH thought they should land at the nearest airport. Anyway, after a while he thought the guy was stable enough to make it to the original desitation. Quite a while after that, another passenger came by and asked him what happened how the guy was doing, etc. Turns out the person asking is a pulmonologist at a well-known institution.

This was on one of several flights to see FIL either shortly before he died or the trip after he died. It was a full-fare last minute ticket and DH was able to upgrade to first-class. But he never sat in the seat because he was sitting in the aisle next to the sick guy most of the time and then gave him the first class seat so there would be more room for the oxygen tank.

A free ticket would have been nice.

Good Samaritan Laws do vary state to state. In some states it is actually punishable if the med professional doesn't help...although I am not sure how they would know.
The med professional CAN be sued anyway, but if the help is given as volunteer, the person needing help doesn't object, and the care is passed off to another "competent" med professional then you have covered the standard basics.
Anytime the situation has presented itself when we are out, there is usually someone else there taking charge already.

[DCJenn]

We've been in situations where my husband was the only medical person around (like the guy going into anaphylaxis at the Fort Meade cafeteria. After the (idiot) EMTs got there they pretty much dismissed everything my husband told him and started to sit the guy up whereupon the poor pan passed right out.)

My ex-husband the EMT told me that basically unless you're standing right next to the person when the heart attack starts, CPR is pretty useless but it makes people feel good. (and I guess occasionally it works)

If we were on an airplane, I'm sure my husband would get up and help. He probably wouldn't do cartwheels but he'd do it nonetheless. I'd rather he be sued for trying to help than sued for not helping at all.

Jenn

[medpedspouse]

We had a similar situation except ours happened at the airport. I was waiting for DH to pick me up when I saw this girl stumbling in the airport. When DH walked in I told him what I saw and directed him to where she was. My DH helped and I kind of stood by...(asthma attack) There was not much I could do other than take off my coat to pad the area where we had her lay down. We stayed until the paramedics got there and got everything under control.

The part of this story that bugs me were the cops. Over the speaker system we heard that our vehicle was going to be towed. So, I ran out, explained the situation, apologized and began to move the car. (this was before 9/11). The cop said to me, "mam. I was in there and you did nothing" What the hell did he do? Other than to stand around and watch. We were able to get out of paying the ticket when we explained to the judge what happened. However, before this event I would have never thought twice about getting involved. Now we do.

Sorry to hiiiijack...I know I was not much help in answering your question.

One of my friends (and dh's former co-resident) is a cardiologist in training. Truly, this woman is incredible - - she is pent on doing some kind of heart failure specialty that doesn't pay cardiology $$ and working in academics (though she was already offered in secret the interventional fellowship that her four male co-fellows have all been vying for since day 1).

She not only always helps on the plane, she refuses money or miles because she thinks its a moral obligation (that should not be commodified).

As a person who will do anything for airline miles, I was impressed . . .

[Vishenka69]

Once back when DH (and all his medical friends) were still in med school we were in a restaurant for my birthday. Suddenly there was commotion at the next table and we saw a man lying on the floor. There were about 15 med school students in our party who all huddled together to discuss. Luckily the EMT showed up about 10 minutes later and the guy turned out ok.

[Cumberland]

I was on a plane once by myself and they asked for an MD or a PA. I am an NP, and they didnt ask for me but no one else on the entire flight of around 200 people responded. This woman was having a syncopal episode and was pretty out of it. They gave me a blood pressure cuff-that was it. They asked me whether or not they should divert the plane, which was no little pressure on me. She perked up quite nicely after some sugared orange juice.

And guess what they did for me in thanks for waking up on a red eye flight to help and sit with this woman for over an hour? Barely a thank you, but they did get my name and address 'in case there are any issues over this'

[Ravenclaw]

And guess what they did for me in thanks for waking up on a red eye flight to help and sit with this woman for over an hour? Barely a thank you, but they did get my name and address 'in case there are any issues over this'

:!