Post #2817530

2025-10-11 10:14 UTC

@shanselman@hachyderm.io This got me reading and I learned that an inflight medical emergency occurs once every 220 flights; hospitalisation is needed once every 2,400 flights and the plane is diverted once every 13,000 flights. Fewer than 0.5% of those affected died. My son went on holiday with us right after he graduated and faced a medical emergency in Namibia, in a lodge which we thought was 5 hrs from an ER room. He didn’t qualify as a doctor until the following week. Colic, fortunately.

Replies (3)

@TimWardCam@c.im 2025-10-11 10:55

@DziadekMick@mstdn.social @shanselman@hachyderm.io I was on a boat which had a medical emergency. First they asked for any doctors on board. Then we were diverted towards a village, where the patient was offloaded via one of the ship's lifeboats (the only time I've seen a ship launch a lifeboat - you always wonder, don't you, whether these things which are never normally used would actually work when called upon). Finally a helicopter appeared over the mountains to collect the patient - there weren't any roads to this village, this being somewhere between Prince Rupert and Port Hardy. I don't know where the chopper had come from that it managed to get to such a remote location so fast.

Open ##2817531
@nartagnan@mstdn.fr 2025-10-11 11:56

@DziadekMick@mstdn.social @shanselman@hachyderm.io You mean when you don't ask about money first (nor an administrative maze called "insurance") and just take care of a sick person, it can be good for their survival chances ? Wow. (Sorry, I'm French 🐸)

Open ##2817534
@dabeaz@mastodon.social 2025-10-11 12:19

@DziadekMick@mstdn.social @shanselman@hachyderm.io I was on a United flight this summer where someone died mid-flight (massive cardiac arrest). It was rather educational to watch the flight crew manage the situation (something for which you could clearly see that they had been trained to handle). Rather sobering for the rest of us as well.

Open ##2817536