Notfälle an Bord von Linienflugzeugen: In-Flight Medical Emergencies (IFME) und In-Flight Cardiac Arrest (IFCA)

Background In 2017, commercial air transportation carried approximately 4 billion travelers. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has predicted this number to increase by 2.7% annually until 2034. In commercial aviation, one in 14,000 to 50,000 passengers experiences acute medical problems during their flight (in-flight medical emergencies, IFME). Although high quality data on the number, incidence, and type of medical emergencies on board commercial aircrafts is sparse, cardiac arrests during air travel may account for 0.3% of all IFME. The reported mortality is high, at 86%. In an effort to improve this outcome, the German Society for Aviation and Space Medicine (Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Luft- und Raumfahrtmedizin) has recently developed and published guidelines for cardiac arrests occurring on-board commercial aircrafts. These guidelines comprise a total of 28 recommendations to improve detection and management of in-flight cardiac arrests. It is intended for doctors on-board, cabin crew as well as airlines.