In-Flight Vital Signs Monitoring BACKGROUND
In-flight medical emergencies remain a concern for airlines. Cotrell reports 362 emergency situation on 361 flights, in one year period (1). These figures represent a rate of 1 of every 1900 flights and 1 of every 150,000 passengers during the same time frame. According to Cummins only 4% of these in flight medical emergencies made an unscheduled landing, and they were most probably unnecessary as the morbidity probably would not have changed had the treatment been delayed for one or two hours (2).

In 1986 the Federal Aviation Administration regulated the use of the "medical kit" on board. This set of useful medications which includes epinephrine, nitroglycerin, diphenidramine, and 50% Dextrose solution are available to be used in a patient without any monitoring of vital signs during an in-flight emergency crisis. In order to achieve better patient care, administration of such drugs should be closely monitored as has been done in an Intensive Care Unit setting. As of today there is no method to broadcast patient's vital signs in real time from a commercial aircraft, as critical communication channel between the aircraft and ground is limited by voice communication via a two-way radio.


The objective of this study is to test the feasibility of using the Internet as a cost-effective way of broadcasting vital signs in real time from an aircraft. Close monitoring of the patient can lead to a better understanding and assessment of the medical condition, improving in-flight patient care, accelerating the decision making process by making an early diagnosis, and correction of a life -threatening condition before the patient arrives to the destination.