Here’s What You Need to Know If You Ever Have an In-Flight Medical Emergency

Picture this: You’re in the middle of a cross-country journey—enjoying a light snack or watching a movie—when a flight attendant commands the attention of the entire cabin. “We have a passenger who is having a medical emergency,” they nervously explain. “Is there a doctor on board?”

Naturally, an announcement of this caliber might raise a few questions. Is the passenger okay? Will there be an emergency landing? And what would happen if you started feeling unwell 35,000 feet in the air?

Don’t panic: According to Dr. Emily Chen, a family physician and content creator behind @the.em.d, it’s not always that scary. “The announcement that a medical professional is needed on board doesn’t automatically mean someone is fighting for their life,” she explains.

In the two years she’s been an attending physician, she’s been called to help with six in-flight medical emergencies, which have ranged from someone feeling woozy to an unaccompanied passenger having a mid-flight seizure. “They’re not all that common, but if I’m on the plane, the odds seem to go up,” she quips. “Kidding… mostly.” In reality, however, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates a medical emergency happens in about one of every 604 commercial flights.

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The first thing Dr. Chen does is check her patients vitals and assess their breathing, airflow, and circulation. “We can take their vital signs and do a basic cardiac and neurological exam to triage how urgent the situation is,” she explains. Equally important, Dr. Chen says, is understanding their medical and travel history. When did the symptoms begin? What was their last meal or itinerary? Are they on any medications? “A fundamental part of medicine is the assessment and decision-making, and those skills travel with you regardless of what equipment is available,” she says.

Speaking of equipment, planes have a lot more than you think. While Dr. Chen says every vessel’s stash can vary, most carry the bare basics such as a blood pressure cuff, pulse oximeter, stethoscope. These essentials can help check a passenger’s vitals, which offers an objective snapshot of a passenger’s stability. Sometimes, planes will have extra tools such as a  glucometer for checking blood sugars, supplemental oxygen, and medicine like aspirin, antihistamines, and epinephrine for allergic reactions. “It’s not a hospital, but it’s more than nothing,” she adds.

Though the myriad of medical conditions that could happen on a plane are intimidating, most of them can be treated in the air. In Dr. Chen’s experience, the most common presentations are weakness and lightheadedness. Meanwhile, the CDC says a plane will only make an emergency landing for a serious condition such as cardiac arrest, obstetric and gynecologic issues, or a possible stroke. 

If you’re feeling weak or lightheaded, your in-flight doctor might have you lay down flat for a few minutes to alleviate any symptoms. Or, if you’re dealing with low blood sugar, they might have you drink water or consume something sweet like orange juice or those in-flight biscuits.

As for the rest of the cabin? The next time you hear a flight attendant ask for a doctor, give them the space to take care of your fellow passenger. “The best thing you can do is stay calm, stay seated, and keep the aisles clear,” she says.