the plane, the plane ...

right, did everything go according to plan? you bet not! it started off on the plane ... the first time i've had to be involved in a real emergency in the air (aside from when they ran out of gin once, but that's another story) ... there i was snozzing away quite peacfully when i was woken up by the sound of a call: 'is there a dr or nurse on the flight?' of course i reacted as anyone would in the same situation: swearing 'oh shit'. i then had to try & wrestle past the 80-year old granny in the seat next to me who, for some reason, kept pointing to her belt and refusing to get up. i had to clamber over her using the back of the seat behind and the armrests whilst i had visions of a cardiac or respiratory arrest down the back of the plane. thanks old granny. flying Air China meant, of course, that by the time i'd wrestled past her and gotten down the back there was a queue 5-people thick that i had to then wrestle my way through again. luckily no cameras were out but i knew it wouldn't take long. &, typically, i was the only medic on the plane so it was all down to me. the scenario: chinese woman, mid=40's, pale, clammy, unresponsive, pulse 50, resps shallow at about 6, husband and daughter looking anxiously on. she had the oxygen going already. i looked up and 20 pairs of eyes looked back. no pressure then. first we had to clear the area, then lay her out on the seats, the do a full physical. she was so grey & her resps so shallow i thought she had arrested, then realised it was quite simple: she'd fainted. phew!!! luckily that meant i could act the consumate professional whilst knowing all would be ok. there was an awkward moment when shining a light in her eyes, the plane hit some turbulance and i nearly fell on top of her but i'm sure her husband didn't object in the circumstances. emergency over, i went back to my seat relieved all was well ... only to find Old Granny giving me a very nasty stare indeed ...