Summary
In-flight electrical therapy
Suberviola González JF, López Lacambra MA, Giménez Valverde A, Velilla Moliner J
Affiliation of the authors
Equipo Sanitario de Emergencias Helicóptero 112-SOS Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain.
DOI
Quote
Suberviola González JF, López Lacambra MA, Giménez Valverde A, Velilla Moliner J. In-flight electrical therapy. Emergencias. 2009;21:471-3
Summary
We report 2 cases in which electrical therapy was applied in flight. After a 55-year-old
man with acute coronary syndrome with ST elevation was initially stabilized, he
experienced ventricular fibrillation in flight and was given 4 shocks between 200 and
360 J. A 78-year-old man with an electrocardiographic diagnosis of slow atrial fibrillation,
related to use of â-blocker eye drops, was treated with a temporary pacemaker in flight.
Both cases were managed in an Agusta A109-E helicopter built in 2003 (250 flying hours
per year) and equipped with a monophasic monitor-defibrillator (Responder 3000,
Marquette-Hellige). No interference from the helicopter’s electrical equipment was
detected during therapy or afterwards. Both patients completed treatment in the
corresponding tertiary care hospital and were discharged in the following days.