Health Care at Thirty Thousand Feet

A new portable device called the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can shock a stopped heart back to life. This is good news for air travelers with heart health concerns.
Consider that every year unfortunate passengers suffer heart attacks while flying long distances on airplanes. Crew members can do very little to help at 30 thousand feet without proper instruction and medical supplies. Chances that a victim will survive a heart attack before landing are slim to none. However, with this new (AED) device in the final testing stages aboard American Airlines flights, half of the passengers suffering heart attacks were saved when the (AED) was used by instructed crew members.

Many other airlines have promised to adopt this policy as well. So, before boarding your next aircraft, check with your carrier about whether an (AED) will be available on your flight.

Stephanie Oakes is a fitness correspondent for Discovery Health Channel, a contributing editor for USA Weekend Magazine and the LA Times, and appears on NBC's 'Today in New York'. She can be reached at soakes@beststuff.com.