Is there a neurologist on this flight?

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the frequency of neurologic events during commercial airline flights and to assess whether onboard emergency medical kits are adequate for in-flight neurologic emergencies. METHODS: Collaboration of the Mayo Clinic's Departments of Emergency Medicine and Medical Transportation Service and the Division of Aerospace Medicine to provide real-time in-flight consultation to a major US airline that flies approximately 10% of all US passengers. We analyzed all medical events reported from 1995 to 2000 in a database that catalogs the air-to-ground medical consultations. All cases with potential neurologic symptoms were reviewed and classified into various neurologic symptom categories. The cost of diversion for each neurologic symptom was calculated and then extrapolated to assess the cost of neurologic symptoms to the US airline industry. RESULTS: A total of 2,042 medical incidents led to 312 diversions. Neurologic symptoms were the single largest category of medical incidents, prompting 626 air-to-ground medical calls (31%). They caused 34% of all diversions. Dizziness/vertigo was the most common neurologic symptom followed by seizures, headaches, pain, and cerebrovascular symptoms. Whereas seizures and dizziness/vertigo were the most common reasons for diversion, loss of consciousness/syncope was the complaint most likely to lead to a diversion. The estimated annual cost of diversions due to neurologic events is almost 9,000,000 dollars. CONCLUSION: Neurologic symptoms are the most common medical complaint requiring air-to-ground medical support and are second only to cardiovascular problems for emergency diversions and their resultant costs to the US airline industry. Adding antiepileptic drugs to the onboard medical kit and greater emergency medical training for in-flight personnel could potentially reduce the number of diversions for in-flight neurologic incidents.

Airport emergency medical services.

To obtain improved emergency medical services at the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, a combination of utilization of existing fire, police, and medical services and improved technology was adopted. Exemplified by the use of EMT and an automatic cardiac defibrillator/pacer (Heart Aide), this system resulted in increased survival for victims of cardiac arrest at the Twin Cities airport. Furthermore, this system allowed for improved triage efficiency and breadth of services that complemented the already existing aircraft crash disaster program.

Clinical and laboratory evaluation of elderly patients with heterophil-antibody positive infectious mononucleosis. Report of seven patients, ages 40 to 78.

Clinical, hematologic, biochemical and serologic data are recorded in seven patients aged 40 to 78 years with heterophil-antibody positive infectious mononucleosis (HA+IM). Clinical observations included fever of 22 to 30 days' duration (five of seven patients), sore throat (six of seven patients), myalgia (five of seven patients) and prominent lymph adenopathy (two of seven patients). Initial blood smears revealed significant numbers of atypical lymphocytes in only five of seven patients; however, or serial testing, in the remaining two patients Downey cells developed to a degree seen in most young adult patients with infectious mononucleosis. Comparison of liver function data from these and younger patients suggests that abnormalities tend to be more marked in those in the older than in those in the younger age range. Serologic tests confirmed primary Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infections in all seven patients based on detection of IgM antibodies to EB viral capsid antigen in specimens obtained early, but not late, in the course of the infection, transitory antibody responses to the D (diffuse) component of the EMB-induced early antigen complex, and the initial absence and later development of antibodies to the EBV-associated nuclear antigen. Thus, the serologic data did not differ from those seen in younger patients. These results show that infectious mononucleosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of fever, sore throat and myalgia with or without significant cervical adenopathy in elderly persons.