Just another day in the life of a FA

[Lakelad]

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Dog dies after United Airlines flight attendant forces passenger to place animal in overhead bin

Tue Mar 13, 2018 - The Associated Press
By David Koenig  

A dog died on a United Airlines plane after a flight attendant ordered its owner to put the animal in the plane’s overhead bin.

United said Tuesday that it took full responsibility for the incident on the Monday night flight from Houston to New York.

In a statement, United called it “a tragic accident that should never have occurred, as pets should never be placed in the overhead bin.”

The dog was in a small pet carrier designed to fit under an airline seat.

Passengers reported that they heard barking during the flight and didn’t know that the dog had died until the plane landed at LaGuardia Airport.

Passenger Maggie Gremminger posted a photo on Twitter of the dog’s owner and children after the flight. “I want to help this woman and her daughter. They lost their dog because of a united flight attendant. My heart is broken,” she wrote.

United spokesman Charles Hobart said the flight attendant told the dog’s owner to put the pet carrier in the overhead bin because the bag was partly obstructing the aisle. It is unclear why the carrier was not placed under a seat, he said.

Hobart said United is investigating the incident and talking to the flight attendant, whom he declined to identify. He said the airline refunded the tickets purchased for the dog owner and her two children and the fee that they paid to bring a pet on board – typically $200.

The cause of the dog’s death was not immediately known. The spokesman said Chicago-based United offered to pay for a necropsy.

Last year, 18 animals died while being transported on United – there were six cases on all other U.S. carriers combined, according to the Department of Transportation.

United has suffered a string of incidents that generated bad publicity in the last two years, including the violent removal of a passenger from a United Express plane to make room for a crew member, and the death of a giant rabbit – its Iowa owners sued the airline, which they said cremated the animal to destroy evidence about the cause of death.

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[Jaydee]

Hopefully someone is unemployed today but my guess is the union will fight tooth and nail and get them off.

[DEFCON]

"He said the airline refunded the tickets purchased for the dog owner and her two children and the fee that they paid to bring a pet on board – typically $200."

 

Mighty big of united

[Guest]

Failure to quickly find defibrillator for man who died on WestJet plane raises queries about crew preparedness

Flight crew took 10 minutes to find AED after elderly man initially found in medical distress

CBC NewsPosted: Mar 14, 2018 5:00 AM MT Last Updated: Mar 14, 2018 8:22 AM MT

CBC News has learned CPR was performed for more than 30 minutes before it was determined the passenger had died. (Darryl Dyck/Canadian Press)

•  

Questions are being raised about how prepared flight crews are to deal with medical emergencies after an elderly man died on a WestJet flight from Hawaii to Calgary last week. 

The flight left Honolulu late at night on March 7 and was scheduled to land in Calgary the morning of March 8. Midway through the flight, flight attendants were overheard asking if there was a doctor or nurse on board.

A woman on the plane identified herself as a nurse.

The nurse was led to a passenger seated in the middle of a row near the front of the plane who appeared to be in his 80s.

 

AED couldn't be found

CBC News was told the nurse called for help moving the man to the floor. 

The flight crew were told to get an AED (automated external defibrillator) and the crew was seen searching overhead bins.

It was around 10 minutes before the AED was located.

Automated external defibrillators are designed to be simple to use for the layperson. (Ashley Burke/CBC)

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, if delivered in the first few minutes, defibrillation and CPR can double the survival rate of cardiac arrest, but with each passing minute, the probability of survival decreases seven to 10 per cent.

CBC News does not know whether an AED would have helped in this case.

AED finally found

CBC News has learned CPR was performed for more than 30 minutes before it was determined the passenger had died.

The man's body was then lifted into a seat and secured there for the remainder of the flight.

Calgary EMS confirmed paramedics responded to the flight once it landed at Calgary International Airport at 6:30 a.m. and an elderly man on board was pronounced dead.

• How to use an automated external defibrillator (AED)
• Trying to get defibrillators into the right hands when it matters most

In a statement, a WestJet spokesperson confirmed there was a medical incident on the flight and said the flight crew utilized the AED and conducted CPR with the assistance of a nurse who was on board.

When asked if the 10-minute time frame to locate the AED was acceptable to the airline, the spokesperson said, "from the initial debrief with our crew members, we are comfortable with the way the situation was handled during this unfortunate incident."

According to the airline, all WestJet planes are equipped with a medical emergency kit, MEDAire satellite phone that allows for direct access to emergency physicians and an AED.

"Both the MEDAire satellite phone and AED are above and beyond what is required by the regulator," read the email.

"An aircraft cabin can be a challenging environment for a medical situation to occur and WestJet wants to be able to provide our guests with the best possible medical response should it be required."

Transport Canada told CBC News medical emergencies that happen on board aircraft do not have to be reported to the agency.

[J.O.]

While faster is always better, quick deployment of an AED is hardly a guarantee. If CPR was being administered while they were searching for the AED, then the AED should have been able to revive him - if he had a shock-able arrhythmia. Contrary to what was shown on those old episodes of Emergency, an AED cannot revive a flat line.

[Fido]

But the media and public have to find somebody to blame.

I guess it makes them feel better.

[Kip Powick]

I would have thought that the First Aid kit and the AED would have been in close proximity to one another.

As J.O. states an AED  will not revive a flat line, it merely shocks AF to normal rhythm,  however, I find  the fact that the "back end" did not know where the AED was stored rather disturbing.

 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, J.O. said:

While faster is always better, quick deployment of an AED is hardly a guarantee. If CPR was being administered while they were searching for the AED, then the AED should have been able to revive him - if he had a shock-able arrhythmia. Contrary to what was shown on those old episodes of Emergency, an AED cannot revive a flat line.

yet the experts are quoted as saying.

Quote

 According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, if delivered in the first few minutes, defibrillation and CPR can double the survival rate of cardiac arrest, but with each passing minute, the probability of survival decreases seven to 10 per cent.

Here is a news story from 2013 that may be of interest: https://globalnews.ca/news/1026947/flight-crew-members-hailed-as-life-savers/

[Kip Powick]

J.O. is correct....a person who has Flat Lined can not be revived. There has to be some VF available for a AED to work.

Cardiac arrest does not mean the patient has Flat Lined and a patient can possibly  recover from Cardiac Arrest  if CPR and an AED impulse is used 

[boestar]

The emergency equipment is "supposed" to be in the same place on all aircraft and identified externally by a placard on the compartment where it is kept.  Emergency equipment on an aircraft is an item approved by the regulator.

 

[Guest]

57 minutes ago, Kip Powick said:

J.O. is correct....a person who has Flat Lined can not be revived. There has to be some VF available for a AED to work.

Cardiac arrest does not mean the patient has Flat Lined and a patient can possibly  recover from Cardiac Arrest  if CPR and an AED impulse is used 

Did not doubt what he said but : According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, if delivered in the first few minutes, defibrillation and CPR can double the survival rate of cardiac arrest, but with each passing minute, the probability of survival decreases seven to 10 per cent. But we will never know ........ in this case, if the outcome would have been different.

[UpperDeck]

Interesting discussion mainly because posters are relying upon popular use of terminology without a shared understanding.

What does " flatline" actually mean?

What is an arythmia?

What is a "cardiac arrest"?

If the heartbeat has actually ceased, debrillation is of no help but heart function can be restored with CPR.

If the heartbeat is irregular; it "flutters"....the defibrillator momentarily stops the heart which ( hopefully) will then re-start without the anomoly.

I am neither a pilot nor a cardiologist....but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.

[Kip Powick]

On 14/03/2018 at 9:32 PM, UpperDeck said:

Interesting discussion mainly because posters are relying upon popular use of terminology without a shared understanding.

What does " flatline" actually mean?

This term normally means that no activity of the heart and that issue  can be seen on an electrical monitor and the indication is a solid line, no beats showing

What is an arythmia?

Arrhythmia is the name given to an irregular or abnormal  heart beat

What is a "cardiac arrest"?

Cardiac Arrest is mainly an electrical problem, a severe arrhythmia

If the heartbeat has actually ceased, debrillation is of no help but heart function can be restored with CPR.

Not really, immediate CPR and the use of AED can save a person

If the heartbeat is irregular; it "flutters"....the defibrillator momentarily stops the heart which ( hopefully) will then re-start without the anomoly.

An AED merely shocks the heart with a regulated voltage into the heart. It does not stop the heart, it just "ups" the voltage in an attempt to get the heart to beat regularly

I am neither a pilot nor a cardiologist....but I have stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.

 

Don't smoke, Drink in moderation,  Exercise, Eat healthy  and the best of luck   

[boestar]

The AED once attached to the patient actually tells you in plain english whether a shock is possible and walks you through it.

I t will tell you sto cease CPR and wait.  It will then analyse the patient for a heartbeat and if none is found will tell you to resume CPR.

If it finds the patient to be shockable it will tell you to stand clear and it will shock the patient, analyse and either shock again or tell you to resume CPR or in the best case the patient will be clear.

They really are simple to use.  I suggest everyone involved in aviation or any other activity for that matter get first aid training including CPR and AED.  I do it every few years.

 

[J.O.]

Speaking of CPR, before the days of AEDs on aircraft, we had a passenger suffer a heart attack over the Atlantic. The diversion to Shannon took the better part of an hour. During the whole ordeal, FAs took turns administering CPR and rescue breathing. When paramedics arrived, his oxygen saturation was still very high but his heart rate could not be restored. They were very impressed that our crew had been able to keep his circulation going that well for that long.

[conehead]

In that case, he would have been a good candidate for organ donation.

[J.O.]

Tough to do when your donor card is for Ontario and your "parts" are on the Emerald Isle. There were other "complicating" factors in the man's personal life which would have made that difficult, but out of respect for the deceased, I won't share them here.

[boestar]

3 hours ago, J.O. said:

Speaking of CPR, before the days of AEDs on aircraft, we had a passenger suffer a heart attack over the Atlantic. The diversion to Shannon took the better part of an hour. During the whole ordeal, FAs took turns administering CPR and rescue breathing. When paramedics arrived, his oxygen saturation was still very high but his heart rate could not be restored. They were very impressed that our crew had been able to keep his circulation going that well for that long.

definitely a feat.  We had to administer CPR on the Dummy for 10 minutes and by the end of that you are pretty worn out.

[st27]

Surprised it took 10 minutes to locate the AED...AC aircraft have a safety card that is provided at the start of the flight with crew positions and location of safety equipment verified...Some of the emergency has had to be relocated to standardized areas due to a TC directive.

[Guest]

Respiratory therapist has 'serious concerns' with WestJet's response to death on flight

Brittany Lardner assisted with a medical emergency on a flight from Hawaii to Calgary

By Sarah Rieger, CBC NewsPosted: Mar 15, 2018 5:29 PM MT Last Updated: Mar 15, 2018 5:47 PM MT

A respiratory therapist is concerned with how a medical emergency was handled on a WestJet flight. (Darren Bernhardt/CBC)

 

Related Stories

• Consumer group urges Senate to require Canadian airlines to carry defibrillators
• Failure to quickly find defibrillator for man who died on WestJet plane raises queries about crew preparedness

A respiratory therapist who performed CPR on an elderly man who died on a WestJet flight last week is concerned with how the medical emergency was handled. 

"It's something they need to learn from," Brittany Lardner told CBC News. "They need to take this very seriously because it could be a matter of life or death."

Lardner works at the Foothills hospital in Calgary. She was about halfway through a red-eye flight from Honolulu to Calgary on March 7 when flight attendants asked if a doctor or nurse was on board.

She identified herself to an attendant and told them she could help with the situation if it involved CPR or a lung issue.

• Failure to quickly find defibrillator for man who died on WestJet plane raises queries about crew preparedness

She followed the flight attendant to the front of the plane, where a nurse had begun CPR on a man who was unconscious on the floor.

"We said we needed an AED (automated external defibrillator) and a mask or bag so we could give rescue breaths," Lardner said.

"It was quite some time — I would say probably in the range of 12 to 15 minutes — before they provided us with an AED. It was a lot of confusion. I think all of the crew, they were very well-meaning, they realized the issues and how serious the situation was, but nobody could find one."

Lardner said she operated the AED and helped provide CPR, with the help of two nurses and a couple of passengers. 

WestJet staff took more than 10 minutes to find a defibrillator during the medical emergency, the respiratory therapist said. (Petar Valkov/CBC)

She said the device, which analyzes the heart's rhythm through its pads, wasn't able to find a shockable rhythm — possibly either due to the man's condition, or due to interference from turbulence on the plane.

Lardner said after about 45 minutes, the man was still unresponsive and had no pulse. A physician, who had been offering assistance, said it was time to declare the time of death. 

"We had to move the deceased man into a seat and attempt to strap him in as best we could for landing," Lardner said.

She said passengers flew the rest of the flight, approximately 1½ to two hours, next to the deceased man. 

'Lack of debriefing or grief counselling'

"I have very serious concerns about the confusion and inability to find an AED. It's something they need to improve on. Also the lack of debriefing or grief counselling of any kind for the passengers who were seated around the deceased and had to witness the event," Lardner said.

Lardner said that she's not sure the delay in finding the AED would have made any difference to the outcome, as the man was old and appeared to have pre-existing medical conditions. She said she was shocked he was even allowed to fly in the first place.

"I noticed him boarding. He was quite visibly in medical distress. He looked very unwell. I believe he was already talking to a medic, but a flight attendant later told me he was cleared to travel," she said. 

She added that while she appreciates that WestJet stocks AEDs on their planes — the devices are not required by Transport Canada — she said the benefit is nullified if staff can't quickly locate or use the device. 

• Consumer group urges Senate to require Canadian airlines to carry defibrillators

WestJet staff took down Lardner's information and said they would contact her after the flight, but she said she hadn't heard from anyone at the company until she wrote them a letter a few days later. 

"There were many people in tears at the baggage carousel in Calgary and no support was offered at that time," she said. "I think even the opportunity for people to talk through what they had experienced — and at that time voice what their issues were and what they had experienced — I think would have been very helpful."

WestJet responded to Lardner's email, thanking her for her help with the medical situation and offering her a $250 credit toward a flight sometime in the next year. They said that they received her concerns, and would forward them to the in-flight department. 

A WestJet spokesperson told CBC News in an emailed statement earlier this week that the airline was "comfortable with the way the situation was handled during this unfortunate incident."

Yearly training for flight crews

Lardner said she was happy with how her concerns had been handled, until she saw the airline's comment in a CBC article.

"I thought they were taking things more seriously. I was not at all comfortable with what I witnessed."

In an emailed statement, WestJet said "we are confident that our cabin crew members took the appropriate actions in helping this guest during this incident. As with any serious incident onboard our aircraft, we are investigating, with an emphasis on thoroughness, accuracy and integrity."

The airline said cabin crew receive yearly training to respond to medical emergencies, and receive basic first aid training every second year, which the airline pointed out exceeds the minimum requirements set forth by Transport Canada.

[DEFCON]

"The airline said cabin crew receive yearly training to respond to medical emergencies, and receive basic first aid training every second year, which the airline pointed out exceeds the minimum requirements set forth by Transport Canada."

That's all great, but if the 'crew' doesn't know where the equipment is stored all the best intentions in the world won't help. 

[J.O.]

I'd forgotten that I was on a WS flight last year when a passenger suffered a suspected cardiac event just after engine start. The crew's response was stellar in all respects. Good thing too because the ambulance took a long, long time responding.

[Guest]

34 minutes ago, J.O. said:

I'd forgotten that I was on a WS flight last year when a passenger suffered a suspected cardiac event just after engine start. The crew's response was stellar in all respects. Good thing too because the ambulance took a long, long time responding.

I also remember a number of times over my career where I saw the cabin crew "Jump to it".  The crew involved in the current incident, if the news article is accurate (and we know they always are ....yea sure.) should be soon scheduled for remedial training or if the defib. was not stowed where it should had been, someone needs to pay attention to that.  All too often we aim blame without all the facts. 

 

[Super 80]

5 hours ago, DEFCON said:

That's all great, but if the 'crew' doesn't know where the equipment is stored all the best intentions in the world won't help. 

I seriously doubt that was the case. They were probably in discussions with MedAire before turning a pax volunteer (who was not a doctor) loose with the AED.

[boestar]

The AED is specifically designed to be used in first and NOT by a doctor.