What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane? • Hacker News Board

Re: What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane?

#61

Post by [deleted] » Thu, Dec 27, 2012, 5:41 PM UTC

JshWright wrote: post #53

Dove wrote: post #51

My dad, an electrical engineer, was once on his way back from a conference with a Concorde flight full of other EEs. In the air, the stewardess asked, "Is there an engineer on board?" Everyone responded enthusiastically. She was forced to clarify, "Is there an aeronautical engineer on board," to disappointment all around. I must admit, some secret part of me always hopes I'll be in a situation on an airplane where th…

That story seems _really_ fishy to me... Why would electrical engineers fly to a conference on a Concorde? What good would an aeronautical engineer be _in flight_?

[deleted]

Re: What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane?

#62

Post by umsm » Thu, Dec 27, 2012, 5:42 PM UTC

I have one question regarding the question: "Did you end up getting sued?"

Why would the doctor get sued? Why would that question even be asked? I didn't feel like any type of catastrophic event happened to merit a lawsuit.

Re: What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane?

#63

Post by supwiggles » Thu, Dec 27, 2012, 5:43 PM UTC

pyre wrote: post #48

supwiggles wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of my paramedic instructors told me a pretty funny story. Apparently they were on shift one Saturday afternoon, when a call came through for a Code 2 (Cardiac Arrest) at a local racecourse. Anyway, it was about 15 minutes away so they took off in a hurry, all the while receiving notes on their terminal regarding the job. Apparently it went along the lines of this: Initial: Unknown Age, Cardiac Arrest, Racecourse…

Are you implying that the emergency call was for a horse/dog in cardiac arrest, or just that the racecourse vet was the 'doctor' performing on the human?

Sorry, I should have clarified. It's late here, and I am tired.

The call was for a human, the 'doctor' who called it was a vet at the racecourse.

Re: What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane?

#64

Post by niels_olson » Thu, Dec 27, 2012, 5:44 PM UTC

omegant wrote: post #55

niels_olson wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As a physician, thank you for this. Is there a standard medkit load out?

There is an ICAO recomended kit list, but usually is more extensive than that, I have our company list (I'll search it and post it later) but trying to find if there is a more general one. Now a days there are also automatic defribilators (spelling?) in transoceanic planes. There should be some kind of general briefing for physicians, from airlines and medical asociations.

I believe this document has the current ICAO med kit. Interestingly, I work with the guys who draw up these supply lists for naval ships, and we're chopping one now. Will definitely include this in the discussion. I really hope you can send me your company list.

http://www.asma.org/asma/media/asma/pdf-policy/2007/airline-...

Re: What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane?

#65

Post by DanBC » Thu, Dec 27, 2012, 5:47 PM UTC

supwiggles wrote: post #41

btilly wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My wife told me about a famous dermatologist who flies in dread of getting that call and there being no other doctor available. When med school was 40 years ago, you're not necessarily going to be comfortable handling, say, a heart attack.

One of my paramedic instructors told me a pretty funny story. Apparently they were on shift one Saturday afternoon, when a call came through for a Code 2 (Cardiac Arrest) at a local racecourse. Anyway, it was about 15 minutes away so they took off in a hurry, all the while receiving notes on their terminal regarding the job. Apparently it went along the lines of this: Initial: Unknown Age, Cardiac Arrest, Racecourse…

In the UK vets are pretty highly qualified. And, unlike most humans, horses can't tell you where the pain is or what it's like.

I think I'd be happy for a vet to do some doctoring.

Re: What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane?

#66

Post by omegant » Thu, Dec 27, 2012, 5:48 PM UTC

JshWright wrote: post #47

omegant wrote: post #22

I have had several medical emergencies onboard as a pilot. One thing I constantly say to physician friends (my wife is a doctor), is that we (the crew) expect from them to make as fast assessment of the situation as possible. For example in my company we don´t have an online doctor to ask for help, so the volunteer has to take care of the situation. Recognizing the problem as soon as possible and prescribing the nece…

Do you have access to an on-call physician? Would a provider at some level less then 'physician' (e.g. nurse practitioner or paramedic) be able to use the kit if they're in contact with a physician? It would be extremely frustrating to watch someone die (or at least get sicker), knowing there was equipment on board that could help them...

We don't have inmediate access to a physician via frequency(lime AA seems to have which is great), but surely the ground team would find the airport team if necessary. Mind you that even if you have access to the medical kit, you are not going to use it properly, I have some general knowledge but I can not distinguish an heart atack from a simple pass out. You could easily complicate a simple issue. I carry on my Iphone the special operations forces medical handbook. It has some gidelines on asisting a birth, and much more(from dressing a hunt piece to basic dentist instructions) but I don't think I Could dare to prescribe a drug based on things read on the fly.

Re: What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane?

#67

Post by niels_olson » Thu, Dec 27, 2012, 5:49 PM UTC

maaku wrote: post #60

niels_olson wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Beyond a certain capacity the bladder is no longer contractile and must be catheterized to urinate. Happens every day in the OR or PACU.

Really? What happened before modern medicine? I'm not being snarky: I believe you.. but a burst bladder would be lethal without access to modern medical knowledge. That seems like a epic fail by evolution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tycho_Brahe#Death

Re: What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane?

#68

Post by omegant » Thu, Dec 27, 2012, 5:50 PM UTC

maaku wrote: post #54

omegant wrote: post #22

I have had several medical emergencies onboard as a pilot. One thing I constantly say to physician friends (my wife is a doctor), is that we (the crew) expect from them to make as fast assessment of the situation as possible. For example in my company we don´t have an online doctor to ask for help, so the volunteer has to take care of the situation. Recognizing the problem as soon as possible and prescribing the nece…

I know I'm going to get down-voted for an information-free post, but I think it's awesome that you're a commercial pilot and participating in HN. It can sometimes get too insular with valley-type techies here. Thanks for participating.

Well I am also founding my own startup..;) so maybe it doesn't count!

Re: What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane?

#69

Post by lotharbot » Thu, Dec 27, 2012, 5:52 PM UTC

JshWright wrote: post #53

Dove wrote: post #51

My dad, an electrical engineer, was once on his way back from a conference with a Concorde flight full of other EEs. In the air, the stewardess asked, "Is there an engineer on board?" Everyone responded enthusiastically. She was forced to clarify, "Is there an aeronautical engineer on board," to disappointment all around. I must admit, some secret part of me always hopes I'll be in a situation on an airplane where th…

That story seems _really_ fishy to me... Why would electrical engineers fly to a conference on a Concorde? What good would an aeronautical engineer be _in flight_?

(Disclaimer: I'm Dove's husband. The man in question is my father in law, and I've heard the story from him firsthand, apparently much more recently than my wife did.)

> "Why would electrical engineers fly to a conference on a Concorde?"

The airline was moving a Concorde to a different facility (ie, it wasn't part of regular scheduled service). They decided to "upgrade" a bunch of passengers who were scheduled to be on a different type of aircraft. They moved the whole group of engineers together.

The stewardess asked for a "Concorde engineer", who was needed for after landing. It had something to do with the way the Concorde hooks up to the loading bridge at the terminal (it may have something to do with the unusual height of Concorde?)

Re: What happens when you are the doctor on the airplane?

#70

Post by DanBC » Thu, Dec 27, 2012, 5:54 PM UTC

pavel_lishin wrote: post #30

joezydeco wrote: post #21

I'm curious if insulin is a standard part of the medkit. I was on a transatlantic crossing once with a coworker who went into diabetic shock (that's another long story). A nurse was onboard the flight but no insulin. We had to divert and my coworker was laid up in a Newfoundland hospital for 3 days.

Why would a diabetic person not travel with insulin?

Depending when the person was travelling: some nations banned bovine insulin originating from some other nations over fears of bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

See, for example, this 2001 Australian document:

http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Conten...