In-Flight Announcement – Defibrillator Onboard
We’re well into the summer holidays now and it won’t be long until you’re packing your case, heading off to the airport and jetting off to your summer holiday destination – some of you may already be there!
If you ask in defibshop, one of the best parts about going on holiday is going on the plane and seeing the world from above. It makes everything else look so small, but sadly that doesn’t remove the fact that cardiac arrests can happen at any given time, even from 35,000ft up.
Cardiac arrest can happen at any given time, usually with no prior warning and unlike other cardiac events, it does not discriminate who it attacks. You can be as fit as a fiddle or a couch potato and be at risk. No one is immune.
With these simple facts in mind, have you researched whether your airline has a defibrillator on-board? Without one, the chances of survival are very slim. We explore whether AEDs on planes are a legal requirement and why all airlines should invest in these life-saving devices.
Legal Requirement?
According to the Resuscitation Council (UK), airlines are required to train cabin crew in first aid and to carry first aid kits onboard. Since 2004, the Federal Aviation Administration Authority has required all United States commercial flights to carry a defibrillator that is large enough to have at least one flight attendant and to train cabin crew in defibrillator use.
However, in the UK, there is currently no legal requirement for all airlines, commercial or domestic, to carry an AED. The very first airline to carry defibrillators dates back to 1986, British Caledonian. Some UK based airlines have made the investment into the life-saving devices; some of these airlines include Virgin, British Airways and easyJet.
Due to the absence of reporting, the exact number of deaths caused by cardiac arrest during flights is unknown. It has been estimated that 1,000 people die during commercial flights each year.
Why should Airlines Invest?
Similarly to other public places, such as schools, leisure centres, shopping centres and even airports, AEDs are not a legal requirement for planes.
Being 35,000ft off the ground removes the possibility of immediate medical attention from the emergency services and places the emergency situation in the hands of bystanders and the flight crew. The current rate of bystander CPR in England is reported to be around 43%, that means over half of the population isn’t confident enough to deliver CPR to someone in need.
Without immediate treatment, 90%-95% of sudden cardiac arrest victims will not survive, but if treatment in the form of effective CPR and defibrillation of the heart from a life-saving defibrillator is delivered within 3-5 minutes of collapse, the casualty’s chance of survival significantly increases from 6%-74%.
There are approximately 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK, and some of these events could be on planes. It is vital that airlines make the effort to protect their travellers, but also their staff too. As stated before, no one is immune to sudden cardiac arrest.
Flying Heartsafe
It is vital when you’re going on holiday that you pack everything you need to keep you and your family safe, but when it comes to defibrillators, you’re reliant on your airline and hotel to provide these life-saving devices.
They may not be a legal requirement as of yet, but we’re hoping in the not too distant future, AEDs will be a standard, mandatory piece of equipment for all airlines.
Have you spotted an AED whilst out and about this summer? Don’t forget to share your life-saving spots with us on social media to feature in our hall of fame! You can send them to us via Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, but don’t forget the hashtag!Learn more about defibrillators
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