Medical Emergency in Flight: Woman Suffers Heart Attack and Stroke

This is a true incident that occurred on an airplane in which Amistaff’s Chief Nursing Officer was a passenger. Praise to the airline and crew for their poise and composure during the crisis.

HIGH POINT: US Air Flight 1723 from Chicago to Charlotte made an emergency descend landing on Tuesday, November 3, 2009.  The cabin transformed into an emergency room before passengers’ eyes as Amistaff’s Chief Nursing Officer, James Ostmann, Sr. RN, MBA, rescued a diaphoretic woman suffering a potential heart attack and stroke.

While in route, the 81-year-old, French-speaking woman grabbed her chest and motioned pressure. With neurological deficits on the left-side of her body and color draining her face, Ostmann knew the patient’s condition was rapidly deteriorating.  Pilots phoned MedLink for medical consultation and received authorization for Ostmann to open the medical resuscitation kit.

Alongside a French-speaking, Medical-Surgical nurse from a Florida hospital, Ostmann reported the patient’s conditions to officials on the ground.  With an IV bag hung from the carry-on compartment and oxygen tank resting in a seat, Ostmann and the flight crew created a mobile ER. Ostmann initiated the IV and eased the woman’s chest pain with Nitroglycerin, keeping her vitals stabilized through landing.

Of the experience Ostmann commented:

“The crew handled the medical emergency with such composure. From 35,000 feet, US Air was able to ground our plane within 20 minutes. When dealing with stroke victims, time is of utmost importance with the tissue plasminogen activator’s limited 3-hour window. The fully equipped medical cart was color coded expediting treatment for the passenger. I hope to receive authorization to follow up with the attending hospital to check on her condition.”

The chilling truth is that Ostmann made a last minute change in his itinerary to board US Air Flight 1723. Coming from the American Society Healthcare Human Resources Association conference in Chicago, Ostmann decided to take the 2:00pm flight in lieu of the 12:00pm flight allowing extra time for travel. Had Ostmann not been a passenger on the same flight, this emergency descend could have had a much different landing.