The Health Risks of Being a Flight Attendant

Being a flight attendant is one of the most wanted professions in the world. The association with elegance, confidence, and reliability make it unique – a job to be proud of. Flight attendants are employed and trained to perform safety functions on aircraft as well as customer service. Hence, being calm, collected, quick thinking, pleasant, … Read more

Air Travel and Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) – Who’s at Risk and What Can Be Done?

One of the most feared adverse health effects of civil aviation is the formation of blood clots in the deep veins of the lower limb, usually called deep vein thrombosis (DVT). A part of the clot can break off and travel through the bloodstream to the lungs, causing pulmonary embolism (PE) which is a serious … Read more

Adverse Health Effects of Fume Events and Air Quality Incidents on Commercial Aircraft

Reports of possible cabin air contamination onboard aircraft on commercial flights have become increasingly common in recent years. Such incidents are often described as fume events. Most often, fume events describe abnormal odors, smoke, haze or fumes in the cabin which may arise from various internal or external sources in an aircraft. More specifically, the … Read more

In-Flight Medical Emergencies – The Role of the Flight Crew and the Medical Professional

In-flight medical emergencies on commercial flights occur every day. In 2013, it was estimated that 44.000 such events occurred worldwide every year (1). So if you are a doctor, a nurse, a medical student, an emergency medical technician or a person with first aid training, it is quite likely that one day your service will be … Read more