We had friends who went R/T HNL to Paris. Bot TO and FROM their destination, there was another passenger with health issues and the H (MD) and W (RN) volunteered, even tho H is a urologist. They ran out of medication and begged Paris to provide more and take the patient to the ER but the ground folks refused and patient died on the plane! On the way back, they the patient was successfully transferred to the ambulance and last they knew was alive.
A friend who had heart issues for many years was on vacation with his W, and in Beijing at Tiananmen Square, where he had a massive coronary and subsequently died. Actually the Chinese gov’t was very nice about everything. Of course upsetting, but W was glad they were doing what they wanted to be doing, and it was his time to go. At least it wasn’t in an airplane.
How frustrating for the medical situation in Paris (we are very fortunate for good health care in our country). Time Jan 19 cover story by Steven Brill (who wrote a book America’s Bitter Pill) who has a new perspective now that he has survived open heart surgery after doc detected aortic aneurysm.
I am somewhat shocked about how sick some people are that still go on a cruise (based on reality show about it).
Thanks to your friends @HImom who stepped up to the plate on both flight situations.
I have a HS classmate EMT and he was fortunate to be with a EMT that had a heart attack, and friend was able to give him CPR, got him to ER, and the guy survived and did well. A great feeling when it goes well.
We know a woman who was traveling in China with her H & her dad. The dad died of something that would easily have been treated in the US while in China. It didn’t dampen her or her H’s enthusiasm for travel to China but definitely is one more reason (along with poor air quality) that I won’t go there.
I felt bad for my friend and her H, especially since they strongly felt that the passenger MIGHT have been saved if the ground crew in Paris was more cooperative and think that perhaps Princess Di may have died similarly–they won’t transport patients until they are “stable,” even if medical personnel don’t have the needed supplies to stabilize! Our EMTs could at least provide suppleis to help get the patients to the ER. It cast a bit of a pall over the trip, since that waS the beginning of their vacation!
Who knows with Princess Di. Head injuries do need the right immediate and advanced care. Just look at what happened to Natasha Richardson and her skiing accident - they didn’t realize how serious it was until too late.
I understand how badly your friends felt @HImom because I just recently attended a funeral for a friend who had ovarian cancer after being a breast cancer survivor. She was only 54 and has a child still in HS. Had she told me more of her medical stuff earlier, I would have directed her to get evaluated by a gynecological oncologist or even her GYN to have the hysterectomy. Big family history of cancer. Her CA125 at a later check up with some symptoms was elevated and she was already stage III ovarian cancer.
I was on a flight a few years ago which made a medical emergency stop. Turns out the passenger had decided not to take her vital medication that morning because … well…who knows why… something to do with her kidneys.
Princess Di died because she wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. She was riding in a passenger compartment with airbags on all sides. The only person in the car to survive, who was also the person riding in the least safe seat, was the only person in the car wearing a seatbelt.
Yes Princess Di had a very bad head injury. Yes if she wore a seat belt my bet is she would have also survived.
I knew three people in the front seat of a head on crash - none survived but the other vehicle’s driver had his seat belt on and had serious but not life-threatening injuries. How many athletes etc do you see that have died w/o wearing a seat belt - they think they are strong enough, etc to be fine (I am thinking big college/pro football players). One I know was on a state, college, and I also believe professional championship football - HS state, National College Championship, NFL Championship.
I don’t know that it’s correct to say Diana died of a head injury. IIRC, she bled out internally as a result of a torn pulmonary vein. This is the bone of contention with her death. With such a tear, there was no way to “stabilize” her at the crash site. Her only chance was surgery to repair the torn pulmonary vein. Had they rushed her straight away to surgery, she well may have survived. I’m thinking there was a 60 minute or more delay getting her to the hospital, at which point it was hopeless. I believe that this situation caused a re-thinking of the whole school of thought of stabilizing patients before transport in France, though I don’t know the outcome of that dialogue.
According to Wikipedia, the survivor was not wearing a seat belt.
This is Wikipedia, so…
We really have strayed far far away; I’m as guilty as anyone now!
He has said he wasn’t wearing a seat belt because he never wore seat belts because his job was to be able to act quickly if something happened and being buckled in would compromise that. But, he also doesn’t remember anything.