When a man died on a WestJet plane since an AED was not found, it raised concerns. Many are questioning how prepared the flight crews are when dealing with medical emergencies after an elderly man died on a WestJet flight from Hawaii to Calgary.
The flight left Honolulu late at night and scheduled to land in Calgary. During the flight, the flight attendants were overheard asking if there was a doctor or nurse on board. The nurse was led to a passenger seated in the middle of a row near the front of the plane who appeared to be in his 80s.
A nurse on the plane called for help moving the man to the floor. The flight crew was told to get an AED and the crew was seen searching the overhead bins. It was around 10 minutes before the AED was found.
According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, if defibrillation and CPR are delivered in the first few minutes, it can double the survival rate of cardiac arrest, but with every passing minute, the likelihood of survival drops 7-10%.
Importance of first aid training
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using an automated external defibrillator (AED) can save a life. Prompt delivery of life-saving techniques improves the chances of survival during emergencies.
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