A medical emergency en route is always a challenge, but especially when it occurs on an airplane. Depending on the severity of the emergency, the pilot will have to decide whether an unscheduled layover is necessary, with all the consequences and costs that entails. While most aircraft have a comprehensive first aid kit, medication and defibrillator, there certainly isn't always a doctor on board. Airline Emirates is now investing in new, state-of-the-art, medical equipment that will allow on-board staff to provide passengers with better care, such as by consulting with medics on the ground via video call.
Over the next few years, 300 Emirates aircraft will be equipped with Parsys Telemedicine mobile medical stations. The system, specifically for use in aircraft, was developed and put together in cooperation with the airline.
Avanced medical equipment
Part of the Parsys system includes 12-lead Telecardia ECG equipment, a pulse oximeter, thermometer, blood pressure monitor, glucometer and a telemedicine station that not only allows measurement data to be sent from the patient to a doctor or hospital, but also provides the ability to make a video call to a medical specialist on the ground.
Passengers in need of medical attention can now have their vital signs or measurements automatically transmitted via Bluetooth to the Medcapture device, eliminating the need for cabin crew to take notes and transmit information manually.
Cabin crew operation
The medical equipment is operated by the cabin crew. Apart from extensive first aid training, they usually have no specialized medical knowledge. For this purpose, the supplier and Emirates have set up a ground team that is available 24/7 - in accordance with the airline's flight schedule - to provide real-time support.
In addition, cabin crew, who are already trained to assist with medical emergencies such as CPR, use of an automated external defibrillator (AED) and even help with childbirth, will also be trained to operate the new medical equipment. In its development, much attention was paid to the user-friendliness of the tablet's interface. It can, Emirates claims, be operated efficiently even under difficult conditions. Together with Parsys, a fully digitized and automated solution has been developed that streamlines communication and treatment.
First success
Meanwhile, the first aircraft have already been equipped with a Parsys system, and with it, a number of onboard medical emergencies have already been resolved, without the need for an unplanned stopover. For example, Emrirates cites “a medical emergency that affected [a passenger's] cardiovascular system, leading to a significant drop in her oxygen level.” The kit allowed cabin crew to provide medical assistance based on communication with the ground team.
The collaboration between Emirates and Parsys is not the first of its kind. In 2021, Philips and Airbus signed an agreement to equip Airbus Corporate Jets business aircraft with Philips medical monitoring equipment. This allowed the aircraft crew to monitor the vital signs of travelers. The data collected with this form of medical monitoring could also be sent directly to doctors or other medical support personnel on the ground.
