Use of first aid kits on board a regional airline

Abstract

Objectives: In-flight medical events (IMEs), although relatively rare, they may be demanding. First aid on board is provided by cabin crew members or passengers who are healthcare professionals. Airline aircrafts are required by legislation to have medical kits on board, but the usefulness of the required medications is still under investigation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of medical kits on board a regional airline. Material and Methods: We prospectively collected all IME reports from the biggest airline in Greece during a 5-year period (2014–2018) and investigated the use of medical kits on board. Results: During the study period, 990 IMEs were recorded, corresponding to 16 IMEs for each million passengers or 1.8 IMEs for every 10,000 flights. The most frequent event was loss of consciousness (38.4%). The first aid kit was opened in 18% of IMEs but was used in 15%. Medications frequently used were burn hydrogel (in 4.7% of IMEs) and paracetamol (in 3.6% of IMEs). Only three passengers were treated with advanced medications (two with nitroglycerin and one with corticosteroid intramuscular injection). Conclusion: Despite the availability of an advanced cardiac life support level, emergency medical kit on board, basic first aid, and over-the-counter medications were sufficient to successfully manage 98% of all IMEs in a regional airline. The required list of medications for onboard medical kits needs further study.