Lufthansa equips all long-haul A380 aircraft with CardioSecur

Lufthansa has equipped all long–haul aircraft with themobile ECG (Electrocardiogram) system CardioSecur. In case of on-board medicalemergencies, the compact, intuitive system will allow flight attendants withoutcardiological expertise to record an ECG for passengers and send the testresults directly to a medical hotline on the ground. The system has initiallybeen tested in 2018 on the A380 fleet and now, it will be available for medicalemergencies on all long-haul aircraft within the Lufthansa fleet.

Weighing only 50 grams, the compact mobile ECG systemdeveloped and distributed by Personal MedSystems GmbH does not take up muchspace or weight. It consists of an app on the flight attendant’s Cabin MobileDevice (mini iPad) and a small bag with an ECG cable and four disposableelectrodes. If a passenger complains of heart trouble, the system can record anECG in a few short steps. First, the flight attendant establishes an internetconnection via the FlyNet WiFi network on the Cabin Mobile Device and startsthe app. The crew then connects the ECG cable to the four electrodes and placesthem on the upper body of the unwell passenger. The app records a 12-lead ECG;additional parameters such as the patient’s age, weight, gender, blood pressureand oxygen saturation are captured manually.

This data will then be transferred from the app to themedical hotline of International SOS (ISOS). This Lufthansa partner can becontacted by pilots and pursers 24/7 in case of medical questions. ISOS willevaluate the ECG and advise the cockpit crew via telephone based on thegathered data. The cockpit crew will then have to make the final decision onwhether it is necessary to divert the plane. If there is a doctor among thepassengers on board, they can use the expert mode on the app to monitor theheart activity.

"Because the severity of the symptoms does notnecessarily provide information about the severity of the illness, it isdifficult not only for the crew, but also for the doctors on the ground, toassess whether an unscheduled landing for medical treatment is required.CardioSecur's in-depth 12-lead ECG data – straight from the plane – is a trueinnovation, giving physicians a much more detailed basis for decision-making,”said Dr. Sven-Karsten Peters, internal cardiologist for Lufthansa’s medicalservices.

The existing program “Doctor on Board” allows the cabin crewto swiftly identify doctors present on board, including their specialties. Thisprogram provided by Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa and SWISS currently has 11,000participating doctors from all specialties who can provide assistance in thecase of medical incidents. For this purpose, an optimally equipped emergencykit that exceeds regulatory requirements is available, along with othermaterials. The crew is also well prepared for emergencies and receives firstaid training every year.

Cardiovascular complaints are the most common cause ofmedical incidents on board. If there are any doctors on the flight, they havebeen able to use the defibrillator so far as a workaround to better assess thesituation. However, the results from that machine cannot replace an ECG.

Medical Travel Assistance

Lufthansa now offers a medical travel assistance service incooperation with the service provider Medical Travel Companion. Passengers canchoose to book either a nurse, a paramedic or a doctor to care for them duringtheir entire flight. Lufthansa is the first European airline to offer thisservice. The medical companion program has different packages that passengerscan choose from. Depending on their needs, customers can for example bookmedical supervision or wound management.