Flying not for the faint-hearted
6 February 2009
Arranging travel insurance should be an essential part of planning a trip abroad 
Dr Rebecca Small, Assistant Clinical Director, Bupa Membership
Fainting is responsible for more than half of all in-flight medical emergencies (IMEs), according to a recent study.
"Although IMEs are generally rare, they can have a significant effect on other passengers and crew, potentially with operational implications for the flight," explained lead author Dr Michael Sand, from the Academic Teaching Hospital of the Ruhr-University in Bochum, Germany.
To find out more about how common they are, the researchers looked at 10,189 emergencies that happened to passengers who flew with two European airlines between 2002 and 2007.
They found that nearly nine percent of in-flight medical emergencies were caused by stomach problems, while almost five percent were due to heart problems. Over eight percent of emergencies were caused by a fear of flying or general pain.
Only three percent of all of the medical emergencies were serious enough to divert the plane. These included heart attacks, strokes and epileptic fits. In more than three-quarters of these incidents there was a doctor on board the plane.
A small number of other illnesses were also reported, including appendicitis, blood clots and gastrointestinal bleeding, but these accounted for less than one percent of all emergencies. There were also two births onboard, and 17 cases of labour pains.
"Flying on commercial aircrafts has been identified as the safest form of travel. Nevertheless, the special environment in an airplane constitutes a physiological and psychological stressor for many individuals, potentially triggering a variety of medical emergencies that may occur on board," explained Dr Sand.
The study didn't reveal any large increase in the rate of medical emergencies between 2002 and 2007. However, the researchers admit that their results are limited by the amount of data available.
The authors recommend that a standard system for reporting all in-flight medical emergencies is introduced. The authors hope this would produce a standard set of data, which future guidelines could be based on.
It has been estimated that by 2030, over half of all airline passengers will be over the age of 50. Dr Rebecca Small, Assistant Clinical Director, Bupa Membership, told the health information team: "With air travel becoming more popular, the age range and health status of people who choose to travel is becoming wider.
"People with medical conditions, which may affect their fitness to travel by air or which require any special equipment onboard, should inform airlines if they are intending to travel. They should also ensure that they have a sufficient supply of their prescription medicines in the cabin for the journey. Arranging travel insurance should be an essential part of planning a trip abroad."
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