A heart attack mid-flight
Sep 21, 2005 | 12:43 pm
#61
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: 7 miles from SFO;
Programs: UA 1MM (finally!!), but sadly no longer 1K
Posts: 126
Originally Posted by ksu
Why shame on me? . . . The purser gave the first voucher to me without any prompting from my side.
If you find this disgusting, fine with me: your problem! My self-respect at least is better when a good job done actually is appreciated. And the best appreciation was the handwritten letter I later from the patient.
If you find this disgusting, fine with me: your problem! My self-respect at least is better when a good job done actually is appreciated. And the best appreciation was the handwritten letter I later from the patient.
Dr. KSU
Please relax. I don't think anyone is criticizing or judging you here (at least I'm not). Neither you (nor I) solicited nor expected some reward or compensation for our medical assistance, nor would we (I assume) have been 'disappointed' if we had received nothing but a thank you in return for our actions.
I think the reactions regarding proper "compensation" are to the prior post #27 by jsgoldbe: " . . . LH offered him a bottle of wine as a show of thanks. He thought an upgrade to C for him and his family on the return would be better compensation for having to be away from his family for most of the flight. LH resisted, but finally gave two out of the family of four upgrades to C. Does a bottle of wine seem like minimal compensation for a person who is interrupting their vacation or business trip to essentially help out the airline and save them many $$$ by not having the flight be forced to land early? "
At least, that's what my "soap-box contribution" was about, not about your post.
Dr. Kman
Sep 21, 2005 | 1:59 pm
#62
Join Date: May 2003
Location: KOA
Programs: AA,UA,NW,CO,AQ,HA
Posts: 196
RE: Life Saving?
Aloha FlyerWife!
Read your interesting note about the gentleman at the top of the escalator apparently in dire distress. For one thing, I certainly would write the CEO of the store, explaining the circumstances, and then emphasizing the laxity of the employees at his store, with their lack of knowledge, compassion, and/or plain apathy at the situation! The letter should be "turboed to the top", rather than writing the Consumer Affairs Dept.
As for the DeFib: Unless this machine was very old (which I doubt), if opened up, there are directions......WITH PICTURES......which tell in very easy language how to apply the electrodes to the chest. After the electrodes are placed, the machine itself will identify, and set the parameters according to the problem. The store staff didn't have to do a thing except open the box!
I feel as you do, that the store employees were useless in this situation, and the head honcho would probably prefer to find out now, rather than have to face a sue job down the line!
Read your interesting note about the gentleman at the top of the escalator apparently in dire distress. For one thing, I certainly would write the CEO of the store, explaining the circumstances, and then emphasizing the laxity of the employees at his store, with their lack of knowledge, compassion, and/or plain apathy at the situation! The letter should be "turboed to the top", rather than writing the Consumer Affairs Dept.
As for the DeFib: Unless this machine was very old (which I doubt), if opened up, there are directions......WITH PICTURES......which tell in very easy language how to apply the electrodes to the chest. After the electrodes are placed, the machine itself will identify, and set the parameters according to the problem. The store staff didn't have to do a thing except open the box!
I feel as you do, that the store employees were useless in this situation, and the head honcho would probably prefer to find out now, rather than have to face a sue job down the line!
Originally Posted by flyerwife
In Nov 2001 I was en route to SEA on a DL flight from DFW when an elderly woman on the flight began experienceing breathing difficulties. The flight attendants became more and more alarmed and visibly upset as the womans condition worsened.
They called for anyone who was a doctor on board, and a doctor and his medical assistant came to the womans aid. The flight was diverted to SLC but by the time we landed the woman had already passed away.
On a side note, I had an experience this weekend which fits in with this topic somewhat....
I was in a retail store on 5th Avenue in NYC this Saturday when an elderly gentleman just dropped to the floor and appeared to suffer a massive heart attack. The store employees were not only completely untrained as to what to do in this emergency, but they were also totally indifferent to the situation and had no regard for this gentleman or his wife, who was of course in shock and in total disbelief. One employee called 911 while at least 8 others simply stood by and watched. One customer began chest compressions and a few moments later, another customer came to assist with the compressions. Only after about 5 minutes (which seemed like 20) did someone ask if there was a defibrillator on site, which there was, and even after that was finally located, no employees seemed trained in its use. The employees seemed to have no clue as to what to do in an emergency, things like getting a blanket or cushion for the mans head, stopping the flow of customers to the area (this happened at the top of the escalator on the 3rd floor level of a floor that caters to children), having an employee tend to the wife, administering CPR or locating the defibrillator in an expedient manner and then being able to use it.
From my vantage point, the gentleman unfortunately was not responding to the efforts made by the customers, and I believe he probably was dead immediately, however I felt that the store employees really should have been better trained as to how to respond to this situation. Seeing that this is a 4 story retail store in midtown Manhattan, it would seem that employees should have more training in what to do in those first vital minutes of an emergency. (To the FDNY's credit, there were there within 5-6 minutes)
I am considering writing to the corporate HQ or emailing but haven't quite formulated a letter that would convey my point that there employees seem poorly trained to help out in this circumstance.
They called for anyone who was a doctor on board, and a doctor and his medical assistant came to the womans aid. The flight was diverted to SLC but by the time we landed the woman had already passed away.
On a side note, I had an experience this weekend which fits in with this topic somewhat....
I was in a retail store on 5th Avenue in NYC this Saturday when an elderly gentleman just dropped to the floor and appeared to suffer a massive heart attack. The store employees were not only completely untrained as to what to do in this emergency, but they were also totally indifferent to the situation and had no regard for this gentleman or his wife, who was of course in shock and in total disbelief. One employee called 911 while at least 8 others simply stood by and watched. One customer began chest compressions and a few moments later, another customer came to assist with the compressions. Only after about 5 minutes (which seemed like 20) did someone ask if there was a defibrillator on site, which there was, and even after that was finally located, no employees seemed trained in its use. The employees seemed to have no clue as to what to do in an emergency, things like getting a blanket or cushion for the mans head, stopping the flow of customers to the area (this happened at the top of the escalator on the 3rd floor level of a floor that caters to children), having an employee tend to the wife, administering CPR or locating the defibrillator in an expedient manner and then being able to use it.
From my vantage point, the gentleman unfortunately was not responding to the efforts made by the customers, and I believe he probably was dead immediately, however I felt that the store employees really should have been better trained as to how to respond to this situation. Seeing that this is a 4 story retail store in midtown Manhattan, it would seem that employees should have more training in what to do in those first vital minutes of an emergency. (To the FDNY's credit, there were there within 5-6 minutes)
I am considering writing to the corporate HQ or emailing but haven't quite formulated a letter that would convey my point that there employees seem poorly trained to help out in this circumstance.
Sep 21, 2005 | 2:09 pm
#63
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Toronto, Canada
Programs: Liftime Titanium Elite Marriott
Posts: 1,752
Unless you have some excellent liability insurance you shouldn't touch anyone when you are travelling in the US. People here will sue over anything and are extremely ungrateful. I have heard stories of doctors being sued after saving someone.
Sep 21, 2005 | 2:45 pm
#64
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: BRU (SEA, JNB)
Programs: Mucci Reperateur des Coeurs Brises
Posts: 4,120
Originally Posted by jsgoldbe
LH offered him a bottle of wine as a show of thanks. He thought an upgrade to C for him and his family on the return would be better compensation for having to be away from his family for most of the flight. LH resisted, but finally gave two out of the family of four upgrades to C. 
My own experience...
BA flight CPT-JNB and a women behind us had a stroke (although could have been something else; it was not obvious or immediately apparent at the time). We were about 50 minutes out from JNB, so did not divert, especially since Joburg has better facilities so major medical emergencies. Much walking up and down the aisles by the FAs, calling for medical personnel, telling passengers to remain seated. Upon landing in JNB, we were ordered to remain seated until told otherwise. Rather than go to a gate, we parked at a remote stand so the ambulance could get closer. Surprisingly, everyone (including the suits) resisted the usually natural urge to start a sprint the moment the aircraft stops, and most did not even get out their mobiles.
Sep 21, 2005 | 2:59 pm
#65
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: KSU (Kristiansund N, Norway)
Programs: SAS EBD/ *G
Posts: 2,194
MDs as PMs
On a (slightly) lighter note. The former Prime Minister of Norway, Gro Harlem Brundtland is medically qualified, and she later served as Director General of the WHO, but is now retired. She hasn't worked clinically since the early seventies, having been either a top-level politician or a public health official since. There were a couple of highly publicized in-flight emergencies involving her, including a medical diversion to KEF. Of course, it is well known in Norway that she is a MD, so she couldn't avoid identifying herself. At that time, the authorities in Norway had increased the formal demands on the quality of the patient records. The joke among Norwegian physicians was that it was easy for her, as VG (the largest circulation newspaper) would keep her record updated when she saw a patient in a professional capacity!
Probably more funny in Norwegian (this is not a link, BTW)
Probably more funny in Norwegian (this is not a link, BTW)
Last edited by ksu; Sep 21, 2005 at 3:09 pm
Sep 22, 2005 | 3:00 am
#66
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: SF CA USA. I love large faceless corporations. And they cherish me in return (sometimes). ;)
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Posts: 17,819
Originally Posted by tfong007
Unless you have some excellent liability insurance you shouldn't touch anyone when you are travelling in the US. People here will sue over anything and are extremely ungrateful. I have heard stories of doctors being sued after saving someone.
Back to the original topic: the one and only time I experienced a medical diversion of an aircraft was, totally coincidentally, also the one and only time I ever got an operational upgrade (from economy to business): on an SFO-LHR nonstop on UA several years ago.... except that the medical emergency turned it into a "one-stop" in eastern Canada. The plane had to dump fuel before landing there or it would have been too heavy. Fortunately, we were told that the victim was going to be OK, though not told the nature of his medical problem, whether heart attack or something else. (And I considered myself quite lucky to have had the free upgrade, given the extra hours added to our flight by the incident.)
Sep 22, 2005 | 12:19 pm
#67
Join Date: May 2003
Location: KOA
Programs: AA,UA,NW,CO,AQ,HA
Posts: 196
RE: Broad Biases
Obviousely tfong007 is not a physician, and can not relate to incidences where urgent care is a necessity by folks who are trained and competent.
It is not the "war zone" of judicial corruption that produses law suits, its' folks who perpetuate untruths by believing one instance, or even that incidence would cause one to wonder just where this FT came from......Mars????
"Unless you have some excellent liability insurance you shouldn't touch anyone when you are travelling in the US. People here will sue over anything and are extremely ungrateful. I have heard stories of doctors being sued after saving someone".
Let's hope he never gets hit by a runaway milk truck, or gets stomped by a horse, or even worse, has a mid-flight emergency where there are no trained personnel on board! Good Luck, Mr tfonf007!
It is not the "war zone" of judicial corruption that produses law suits, its' folks who perpetuate untruths by believing one instance, or even that incidence would cause one to wonder just where this FT came from......Mars????
"Unless you have some excellent liability insurance you shouldn't touch anyone when you are travelling in the US. People here will sue over anything and are extremely ungrateful. I have heard stories of doctors being sued after saving someone".
Let's hope he never gets hit by a runaway milk truck, or gets stomped by a horse, or even worse, has a mid-flight emergency where there are no trained personnel on board! Good Luck, Mr tfonf007!