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Features for Senior Citizens
Defibrillators Have Saved 76 Lives on American
Airlines
Senior citizen travel tips offered by flight
attendants for Valentine's
Feb. 9, 2007 - As the country prepares to celebrate
Valentine's during American Heart Month, American Airlines celebrates
the 10-year anniversary of its own heart-health milestone. In 1997,
American Airlines became the first U.S. carrier to equip its aircraft
fleet with Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), and this month,
American proudly celebrates the 76 lives it has saved in those ten
years.
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Facts About Valentine’s Day 2007: Feb. 14
U.S. Census Bureau provides interesting facts about
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Recipe for a Health Heart Provided for Valentine's
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Online Dating Website for Senior Citizens Launches
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Features for Senior Citizens |
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American uses an extensive training process to
ensure that all of its nearly 18,000 flight attendants are AED/CPR
trained annually. The American Heart Association estimates that 95
percent of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) victims die before reaching the
hospital, and when defibrillation is provided within 5 to 7 minutes, the
survival rate from SCA is as high as 49 percent. However, since
equipping its aircraft with AEDs, American has achieved a survival rate
of 63 percent.
The rate of survival aboard American Airlines is so
high because an AED is only footsteps away from a victim of SCA, whereas
in public, AEDs are not often readily available. The sooner normal heart
rhythms can be restored, the more likely an SCA victim is to survive.
Who would have thought that an airplane would be one of the best places
to have a heart attack?
While SCA is not limited to senior citizens, the
aging baby boomer generation, characterized by a longer and more active
life, makes this onboard health resource all the more relevant. Whether
traveling alone or with family, seniors must often take special
considerations to make their flying experience enjoyable and
comfortable. American Airlines recently surveyed its flight attendants,
the ultimate travel experts, on how seniors can better prepare for a
hassle-free flight.
Following are their tips for traveling senior
citizens.
Do set your expectations by…
● becoming informed about the recent changes in
air travel and in particular, security procedures and food service,
especially if you haven’t flown in several years.
● researching the resources available at each
airport, including wheelchairs, oxygen and transportation between gates
and terminals for seniors and the disabled.
● reviewing your travel itinerary several times
beforehand and confirming the day of travel. Have a plan of action in
case of delays or changes due to weather or other issues.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help by…
● honestly evaluating physical limitations and
letting the flight crew know upfront if you may need assistance.
● compiling a data sheet of a relevant personal
information – name, address, emergency telephone number, medications,
health issues and the name and phone number of the person traveling with
you or meeting you at your destination.
● telling the flight attendants if you do not
feel well at the first sign that something’s not right. If a passenger
begins to feel nervous or confined, seatbelt extensions are available,
and flight attendants can help identify seats in emptier rows or near
the restroom, if necessary.
Do pack the essentials, including….
● medications and/or prescriptions. Before the
flight, be sure that prescriptions or other necessary medications are
full and transported in the original containers with dosage information.
● a sweater or jacket in case of a chilly cabin
or airport.
● reading glasses.
● one set of overnight necessities in case of an
unplanned layover.
● water and healthy snacks in case medications
need to be taken inflight. Snacks are important if medication needs to
be taken with food or in case of low blood sugar.
Don’t forget to keep healthy by…
● doing wrist, ankle and neck rolls in your seat
to keep joints from swelling.
● wearing loose-fitting clothing, stockings that
help with circulations or Velcro shoes that can be loosened easily
inflight or at security. Avoid tight garments around the midsection.
● taking a walk to the restroom, just for
exercise. When the fasten seatbelt sign is off and the service cart is
out of the aisle, take a short walk through the cabin or to the restroom
to assist circulation and flexibility.
AEDs and sudden cardiac arrest
Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) is primarily due to
abnormal heart rhythms, called arrhythmias, of which ventricular
fibrillation is the most common. Ventricular fibrillation occurs when
the heart's electrical impulses suddenly become chaotic, causing abrupt
cessation of the heart's pumping action. Victims quickly lose
consciousness, often without warning. Unless normal heart rhythm is
restored, death follows within minutes.
For each minute ventricular fibrillation persists,
the likelihood of successful resuscitation decreases by approximately 10
percent. After as little as 10 minutes, very few resuscitation attempts
are successful.
The AED analyzes the person's heart rhythm. If the
AED detects ventricular fibrillation, it commands the operator via a
voice prompt to push a button, which sends an electrical shock to the
person. A successful shock, or shocks, restores the heart's normal
rhythm.
American’s first save
American’s installation of AEDs came nearly seven
years before the FAA began requiring them on all commercial passenger
aircraft of a certain size, and within the first year, all of American’s
flight attendants had been trained to use the AEDs in case of
emergencies.
On Feb. 18, 1998, Robert Giggey of Mebane, North
Carolina, became the first AA passenger whose life was saved. Giggey
collapsed on board an aircraft after rushing to catch a connecting
flight at DFW Airport.
Following his incident, Robert and his wife,
Carmen, became champions of getting defibrillators installed in public
places.
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