What happens if someone has a heart attack on a plane?

Question

Is there always a doctor on board? Does the plane make an emergency stop in the nearest city to get the patient treated? What happens?

Answer 1

Flight attendants are trained to be first responders.  Most of the time there is a Dr or someone qualified to help with the situation.  We do have AEDs on the plane, and the flight attendants are trained to use them, as well as being trained in CPR.  Yes, we would also land at the closest location possible to get treatment for the person....where a team of professionals would be waiting for the arrival.  I haven't had anyone have a heart attack on my plane, but I have had numerous medical emergencies.  Luckily, none of them were THAT serious, and there was a doctor onboard every time.

Answer 2

The flight attendant is trained in CPR and the use of an AED(Automated External Defibrillator) There are also portable oxygen bottles on board. Proceedure is to contact the flight deck and make them aware of the situation then begin administering oxygen. Request help of any trained medical personnel. If they stop breathing then they are transfered to the galley area with the help of ABPs(Able Bodied Passengers) and given CPR. If there is no breathing and no pulse then the AED is used. The AED moniters electrical activity in the heart, if there is none then it will not shock, if there is still elctrical activity in the heart it will reccomend and administer a series of shocks stopping automatically if the heart resumes beating. Meanwhile the flight crew has radioed ground and advised them of the situation receiving emergency clearance to land and requesting emergency response teams to be on hand.

Answer 3

They would just get to the ground as soon as they could....I know of a man dying from a heart attack on a plane from England to Australia.....there was nothing they could do except put him at the back of the plane, away from other passengers until they could land......icky hey?!

There does always seem to be a passenger who is a doctor on flights tho.....theres seems to be one always floating around...

Answer 4

I would guess one of the flight attendents would start cpr and land at the nearest airport

Answer 5

They have trained  people on the plane, that will treat you until the next stop...

Answer 6

They have those electrical shock thingies on there to shock the person back.....and then they also do an emergency landing.