An airline passenger’s sudden cardiac arrest during flight creates a rare and stressful experience for the responding flight attendants, and health outcomes of these events have been significantly poorer than in gambling casinos although automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are widely used in both environments. Yet feedback to crews about in-flight “saves” and deaths involving AEDs has been scarce, says Paulo Alves, a cardiologist and vice president, aviation and maritime health, MedAire. He was among the presenters at the 27th International Aircraft Cabin Safety Symposium in Orlando, Florida, U.S., held April 27–29. His presentation, like others highlighted in this article, emphasized practical applications of newly available data sources.
