Are United States Airlines Prepared to Handle In-Flight Medical Emergencies?

Abstract

This statistic is based on a Lufthansa report and is considered the industry's "best guess" figure. See id. 3. See Susan Okie, Cardiac Arrest in the Air-Without the Tools to Cope, WASH. POST, Jan. 15, 1998, A01, A6. Heart disease accounted for 1,020 of the emergencies reported. See id. From 1994-1996: American Airlines recorded some 4,800 in-flight medical emergencies of all types, including those not attended by physicians. If American's experience is similar to other airlines, there could have been more than 12,000 such emergencies aboard U.S. commercial airlines last year [19951-an average of 32 a day, or more than 10 times the estimate produced by the FAA's 1986-1988 study.