Airport deals with 5 medical emergencies in 10 days
A patient suffering from acute pulmonary embolism at the airport is now in stable condition in the Pudong New Area People's Hospital.
Five passengers, including four expats, were rushed to Pudong New Area People's Hospital in a critical condition from Pudong International Airport over a period of 10 days, the hospital said on Thursday.
All are now in stable condition.
On December 2, a 28-year Frenchwoman fainted on an aircraft. She was diagnosed with an acute pulmonary embolism, a blood clot in the lungs.
A 36-year-old passenger from the United States who fainted at the airport on December 5 and a 55-year-old American passenger found unconscious when an aircraft landed the next day had the same problem.
"Acute pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening, but awareness of the problem is lacking," said Wan Jian, director of the hospital's intensive care unit department.
Wan said the condition could be blamed on long-term lack of movement in a cramped space on an aircraft.
People with diabetes, heart problems or who are at risk of a stroke are particularly vulnerable, he said.
The hospital has about 30 such cases a year.
In the other two cases, a 25-year-old student from Nigeria developed symptoms of a fever and was sick with abdominal pain on an aircraft, and his situation worsened after landing. He was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis and diabetic ketoacidosis at the hospital.
And a 24-year-old Chinese student lost consciousness when boarding after he had run to catch his flight as he'd gone to the wrong terminal. He was diagnosed as having a cerebral infarction.
The hospital has established a coordination system with staff handling medical emergencies at the airport, who send information to doctors immediately thus saving time in an emergent situation.
