Internet CME Course: Is There a Doctor on Board? Medical Emergencies on Commercial Flights

Activity ID

2874

Expires

November 12, 2024

Format Type

Internet

CME Credit

1.5

Fee

$14.40-$33

CME Provider: Massachusetts Medical Society

Description of CME Course

Most physicians are consumers of commercial air travel. More than half of flights have a physician among the passengers, and 50% of physicians have responded to a medical emergency on an airplane. Medical emergencies on flights are becoming more common as air travel becomes globally accessible, people fly greater distances, and the U.S. and European population ages. Responding to medical problems on an aircraft is one of the purest expressions of the Hippocratic oath but provokes anxiety in many providers given the unfamiliar and haphazard environment. Many providers are not aware of:

1. The pathophysiologic stresses of commercial air travel.
2. Common airplane emergencies and the approach to a midair patient.
3. Interventions that can be performed in response to a medical emergency on an airplane.
4. The equipment available on the aircraft.
5. Preparatory strategies for keeping patients safe during air travel.

Most medical school curriculums do not include lessons on the specific community need of volunteering for a medical emergency on an airplane. The midair practitioner may be asked to respond to a type of patient or condition outside of her usual scope of practice. Many providers are not aware of equipment and interventions available on commercial aircrafts. Having an approach to the midair patient and thinking through scenarios of common airplane emergencies will help prepare health care professionals to respond if asked to serve.

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