In-Flight Medical Events on Commercial Airline Flights
In this cohort study of 77 790 in-flight medical events, these events occur more frequently than previously reported. Serious neurologic conditions, cardiac events, and physician volunteer involvement are each associated with higher odds of diversion. These findings contribute to the understanding of in-flight medical event frequency and outcomes and may inform policy, flight crew training, and diversion protocols.
Authors
- J. Fran Devlin
- Neil Nerwich
- Paulo M. Alves (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0417-6882)
- Alexandre T. Rotta (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4406-2276)
- Karan R. Kumar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9196-6350)
Institutions
- Clinical Research Institute (US)
- Arizona Research Center (US)
- Duke Medical Center (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- JAMA Network Open
- Published
- 2025-09-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.33934
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Travel-related health issues
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.76