Abstract
Emergencies on board an aircraft pose a challenge for all physicians but also for all other participants. However, doctors can prepare for it: sound knowledge of the physical environment and the resulting physiological characteristics with risks and limitations of acutely ill passengers will aid informed decision making. Legal protection and knowledge of the onboard medical equipment and certainty that this will appropriately support the required interventions on board the aircraft may further facility the willingness of physicians’ to act. Doctors looking for specific information with regard to the medical equipment on board may receive valuable information from the individual airlines only since standardization across the different carriers is still lacking (8).
