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21$!($1:!'94.1&2/&!5.1!E29',:!08:)'%'2/)
Kenichi Sato Kansai Rehabilitation Hospital/CRASEED
(Japan)
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The possibility to be called on in an emergency. 2!%2,,!5.1!2))')&2/%$ 11 Nov. 2007
After the lecture,
21 Sep. 2008
always a possibility. collect the questionnaire.
9 Nov. 2008
Dr, Ns etc !90%
only doctor about 75%
The chance to know medicines and equipment
contained in a medical kit onboard an airplane. The Japanese journal of clinical and experimental medicine Vol.79 / No４

int is
key po
seldom a possibility.

One of the reasons to Doctors should have a basic knowledge

hesitate to assist? about potential inflight emergencies.

!"#$%&'($)
Give a lecture about
;<4,2/2&'./!.5!$=+'49$/&
-./&$/&)!.5!&8$!,$%&+1$ Only 11 Nov. 2007
inflight emergency ・environmental change during flight.
・medicines and equipment in the airplane.
・inflight emergencies frequently encountered.
・ailments that a GP should consider.
1st. ・usefulness of the lecture.
In cooperation with JAL.
21 Sep. and 9 Nov. 2008

・helpfulness of the information.

2nd. ・should the lecture continue
in the future.
Explanation only using photos.

*$)+,&)
Total participant 127 response rate >941.($9$/&)
Questionnaires 81.1% Want to see actual medicines and equipment in an airplane.
103
>)!&8')!,$%&+1$!8$,45+,!@8$/!:.+!
returned Want to see how these equipment are used.
2))')&!2/!'/5,'38&!$9$13$/%'$)? (e.g. stethoscope, suction pump, protractor...)

>)!&8$!'/5.192&'./!'/!&8')!,$%&+1$!+)$5+,!? not helpful Want some concrete examples from airline companies.

1 Please make a handbook about inflight emergencies.

useful very
39 helpful helpful C.!:.+!&8'/7!&8')!,$%&+1$!)8.+,B!%./&'/+$?
very useful 62 40
left blank ・It will be difficult to help in an
64 5 emergency without this information.

・I can understand the situation when ・There is a lot of information in this

・I can understand the information well.
・I could see the equipment for the first time.
・I can understand the information well
because of concrete examples.
I see passengers. lecture that doctors don t know.
・All doctors should know and
・I understand well because of the should understand this information.
concrete examples. continue
・These lecture should be given to
・There are no concrete examples. 98 university medical students.

-./%,+)'./
Difficulties presenting a lecture
AB(2/&23$) After the lecture on inflight emergencies... 01.",$9 about an inflight emergency...

Can get information about inflight emergency. Difficult to explain concrete case examples.
Can know medicines and equipment in the airplane. Difficult to acquire equipment from airline companies.
Can know what ailments will occur frequently. Difficult to do the lecture without actual equipment.
Advice for patients when they travel by airplane. Difficult to explain from a legal stand point.

We need the understanding and

Doctors will no longer hesitate to accept
cooperation of airline companies too.
an inflight emergency call.
 The knowledge and the education of inflight
emergency are very important for Family physicians.

Kenichi Sato/Kansai Rehabilitation Hospital

WONCA Asia Pacific Regional Conference
07/June/2009

1. Abstract
<Background>
Given the increase in airplane travel and the number of elderly passengers on
planes, the chance that a physician will be called upon to assist during a flight
has increased. However, doctors in Japan have no specific training on how to
assist in an inflight emergency and are therefore hesitant to assist.

<Objectives>
To measure the response to a lecture on medical assistance during a flight,
including the kinds of drugs and medical instruments which are available on
planes and advice to patients.

<Methods>
The lecture was given to family physicians 3 times between 2007 and 2008 ,
total 127 doctors participated. Participants were sent questionnaires before and
after the lecture.

<Results>
103 questionnaires were returned, a response rate is 81.1%. Most participants
showed an interest in knowing more about how to treat an inflight emergency,
but also wanted more concrete case examples.

<Conclusion>
Family doctors would like to know more about the treatment of inflight
emergencies and their current lack of training makes them hesitant to assist.

1/3                 Kenichi Sato
 2. Manuscript
<Background>
During the flight, doctors always have a chance to be called on in an emergency.
But in Japan, doctors seldom have the chance to know about the medicines and
equipment that are in the medical kit.

From one medical paper, the rate of doctors who accept an emergency call for
assistance is about seventy-five percent (75%).

I believe that If doctors have a basic knowledge about inflight emergencies, they
may be more willing to accept a call for assistance.

So, I decide to give a lecture about inflight emergencies at the workshop for
family physicians.

<Objects>
To measure the usefulness of this lectures, I collected the information from a
questionnaire I prepared.

The main objective is the usefulness of the lecture.

The secondary objectives are the helpfulness of the information and should the
lecture continue in the future.

In the lecture, I presented the information below.

1. the environmental change during flight.

2. medicines and equipment in the airplane.
3. inflight emergencies frequently encountered.
4. ailments that a GP should consider.

The explanation of equipment is most difficult problem.

I could use a real medical kit and equipment only during the first presentation.

The other two times, I could use only photos because none of the airline
companies would lend me the medicines and equipment.

2/3                 Kenichi Sato
<result>
Totally one hundred and twenty seven people participated in the lecture and one
hundred and three questionnaires were returned.
So, the response rate is eighty-one point one percent(81.1%).

The result of 1st objective is as follows.

Almost all participants answered that the lecture is useful.

When participants assist in inflight emergencies, many doctors said that the
lecture is helpful or very helpful.
But only one doctor said there were no concrete examples even though another
doctor said that he could understand because of the concrete examples.

Comments for improvements are as follows.

As you can know, there are many points that could be improve.

The last question whether this lecture should continue.

Participants who answered this question say the lecture should continue.
Comments are as follows.

<Conclusion>
After the lecture on inflight emergencies, we can get a lot of information and
knowledge about the medicines and equipment in the airplane.

Furthermore, we can advice patients when they travel by airplane.

So maybe doctors will no longer hesitate to accept an inflight emergency call.

But, because none of the airplane companies are willing to lend us the medicines
and equipment, I must give the lecture without them.

So, to continue the lecture more effectively, we need the understanding and
cooperation of the airline companies as well.

Thank you for your attention.

3/3                 Kenichi Sato