Frequency and Type of Medical Emergencies at the International Airport

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the utilization levels and adequacy of the emergency medical facility at the international airport. Methods: The outreach emergency medical records of Chiang Kai Shek International Airport from February 2002 through January 2003 were reviewed. Salient details with respect to the time, chief complaints, location, diagnoses and personal profiles of the patients were recorded. Results: A total of 420 medical emergencies were included in the study. Gender distribution was almost equal. The average age of the travelers treated was 39.5 years. Most of the medical events occurred between 18:00 and 24:00 hours (38.8%). and the most common location was the boarding gate (58.1%). Gastrointestinal conditions (22.9%), traumas (15.2%), and respiratory distress (15.0%) were the three prevailing medical emergencies. Most of the accidents causing trauma occurred when disembarking from a plane or during luggage delivery. One third (31.7%) of the patients had to be referred to a hospital for further treatment. Of these, 12.8% were due to acute cerebrovascular accidents. There were six critical cases (three died), including acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and acute respiratory failure. Conclusion: Severe medical emergencies occurred in 7.6% of our study cases. We recommend that a fast medical shuttle is available to shorten the response time. The findings of this stud may be useful for planning emergency medical facilities at international airports.