Medical emergencies

Medical emergencies are one of the main reasons why an aircraft may need to divert if the emergency is serious enough and cannot be treated within the airplane itself. The final decision as to whether a diversion is necessary or not rests with the captain on board. All aircraft have a first aid kit on board and cabin crew receive first aid training. A request may be made for any doctor who happens to be travelling on a flight with a view to a possible intervention.

A recent innovation is the Medlink service (telemedicine centre) where a specialist opinion may be provided at a distance. It is a comprehensive, 24/7 centre with on-duty emergency physicians who communicate directly with crew. This model provides immediate guidance and advice to crew during the actual medical crisis. The telemedicine responder should possess enough medical emergency knowledge to consult whether to provide inflight treatment or to divert. Medlink service should also have a comprehensive and worldwide database of medical resources. This database will help crew determine the best location for treatment options and will provide information on landing requirements and support services.

Air traffic controllers are also trained to deal with medical emergences. They provide an essential link with medical services on the ground. Once a decision to divert has been taken, the controller is responsible for making sure that the appropriate medical services are properly informed and standing by, ready for action when the airplane lands.

Some passengers board an airplane with an underlying medical condition which makes flying unadvisable. Airlines will try to screen such passengers and they have the right to stop them at the departure gate and refuse permission to embark. But unless the symptoms are very obvious, passengers at risk will remain undetected until it is too late. Sometimes the passengers by themselves may not be aware of their own condition until the problem occurs. With the increase in leisure travel and particularly long haul travel by elderly passengers, the likelihood of a medical emergency during flight is on the increase.

A further problem in international travel is that cabin crew may be unable to correctly assess the seriousness of a medical condition due to a language barrier. It may be that someone is unable to explain the seriousness of a medical condition. In such circumstances the captain may choose to divert rather than to risk more serious consequences.

1. In pairs/groups answer and discuss the following questions.

1. What is medical emergency?

2. Who takes the final decision whether to divert in case of medical emergency on board?

3. What do you know about medical equipment, medical staff and ground services?

4. Do you think pilots and ATCs should receive special training to deal with medical emergencies? Why?

5. What is Medlink service? How does it work?

6. What are ATC’ responsibilities in case of medical emergency?

7. Name the problems which can lead to medical situations on board. What can be done to prevent them?

8. Do you think language proficiency can influence the consequences of a medical situation? How?

2. Make an oral presentation based on the text above using the words/expressions in bold. Make it not less than 15 sentences.

Describe the picture.

AVIATION MEDICINE

Before reading the text, answer the following questions.

1. How many medical checks-up and examinations do you have a year?

2. What medical specialists do you usually visit?

3. Do you know any diseases and potential risks connected with your future profession? If yes, which ones?

4. There is an opinion that pilots’ job requires them to be supermen. Do you agree or not? Prove your idea.

Aviation medicine

Just as aircraft are required to undergo regular checks and maintenance, pilots are also required to undergo regular medical examinations to ensure their fitness to fly. The physical standards pilots are required to meet are minimum standards. Pilots do not have to be supermen to fly. Many defects can be compensated for, as, for example, wearing glasses for visual defects.

These specialized medical exams consist of physical examinations performed by Aviation Medical Examiners, doctors trained to screen potential aircrew for medical conditions that could lead to problems while performing their airborne duties.

The goal of the Medical Examination is to protect the life and health of pilots and passengers by making reasonable medical assurance that a person is fit to fly.

Among the Aviation Medical Examiners there are doctors of different specialities:

cardiologist,

surgeon,

dentist,

dermatologist,

endocrinologist,

gastroenterologist,

ophthalmologist,

oral surgeon,

neurologist,

neuropathist,

physician,

psychiatrist,

psychologist.

Air crews are a high-risk group to several diseases and harmful conditions due to irregular work shifts with irregular sleeping, jet lag and irregular meals and work-related stress. There are some professional diseases pilots might suffer from:

stomach ulcer,

hearing loss or even deafness,

atherosclerosis,

ischemia,

heart problems,

high-blood pressure (hypertension),

haemorrhoids.

Answer the questions.

1. Why do pilots have to undergo regular medical checks and examinations?

2. What standards are pilots required to meet?

3. How can you define Aviation Medical Examiners and potential aircrew?

4. What is the purpose of Medical Examination? How is it achieved?

Match the medical profession with its definition.

1. a doctor whose job is to perform operations on people’s mouth and teeth	a) psychiatrist
2. a doctor who treats people with mental illnesses	b) dentist
3. a doctor who studies how people’s minds work and the way it affects their behaviour	c) neurologist
4. a medical specialist who deals with heart problems and the diseases that affect the heart	d) psychologist
5. a doctor who treats people who have skin diseases	e) ophthalmologist
6. a medical specialist who is an expert in illnesses of the eyes and who can perform operations on people’s eyes	f) surgeon
7.a doctor who is trained to perform operations involving cutting, usually in a hospital	g) dermatologist
8. a medical specialist who studies the people’s nervous system and the diseases that affect it	h) oral surgeon
9. a doctor whose job is to examine and treat people’s teeth	i) cardiologist

7. Make a report on one of the following topics dealing with improving one’s health and moral condition. Give as many ideas as you can. Use additional sources for your report.

- Regular exercises are very important to feel well

- It’s necessary to go in for sport to keep fit

- Unhealthy habits can ruin people’s health and life

Infectious diseases

An infectious disease is a disease resulting from the presence of microbial agents. They are also called contagious diseases. They can be transmitted from one person or species to another. Transmission of an infectious disease may occur through one or more of pathways including physical contact with infected individuals. The infecting agents may also be transmitted through liquids, food, body fluids, contaminated objects, airborne inhalation, and so on.

Infectious diseases can cause problems for international flights. As air companies have to fly to different parts of the world and tropical countries as well, the crew and the passengers should be made aware of the risks of catching such diseases as malaria, bird flu (Avian Influenza), the so called swine flu, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and some others. In order to prevent the spread of such diseases, each aircraft performing an international flight has to undergo a special medical check upon arrival.

When an aircraft arrives at an international airport, a representative of Port Health comes on board and asks the captain and the purser if there are any sick occupants. In case there are some, the plane is put into the quarantine.

Answer the questions.

1. What are infectious diseases? What do they result from?

2. How are infectious diseases transmitted?

3. Why do they cause problems to international flights?

4. Name some of infectious diseases.

5. What are the ways to stop the spread of infectious diseases?

9. Make word-collocations using the following nouns: disease, agents, people, person, quarantine, objects, liquids, food, airborne inhalation and the words from the box. Some nouns can be used more than ones.

infectious microbial contaminated contagious infected be transmitted from…to be transmitted through catch put into

10. Retell the text “Infectious diseases” using words and word-collocations from exercise 9.

Medical assistance on board. First aid

Match the words with the definitions.

1. kit	a) inside your head that controls how you move
2. unconscious	b) the font of your body between your neck and your stomach
5. numb	h) swelling of your skin that has liquid in it
6. instruction	f) you are not able to see, move or feel anything
7. chest	g) row of bones down the centre of your back that keeps your body upright
9. blister	i) frozen, without any feeling
11. brain	l) information that tells you what to do
12. spine	j) a box which has special things in it which you need

First Aid

First aid is the help that you give someone quickly after they have hurt themselves or have had an accident. It can stop a person from becoming more ill. In some cases, it can even save a person’s life.

Only someone who knows first aid well should try to treat an injured or sick person. Usually, you give first aid until a doctor or an ambulance arrives. Never try to give someone first aid unless you know what to do. The wrong actions can do more harm than good.

When you call for help you should be able to give correct information. An ambulance needs to know where the injured person is located and what exactly has happened. In some cases, you will be given instructions on what to do until a doctor or ambulance arrives.

But sometimes you cannot wait until help arrives. You must begin helping a person at once, especially if the victim is bleeding strongly, has been poisoned or if breathing has stopped. Even if you wait for a short time it can be fatal. Here are some important rules for immediate help:

- Do not move a person who may have a broken bone, internal injuries or an injured spine unless you really have to.

- If the victim is lying down, keep the person in that position. Do not allow them to walk or stand up.

- Never give food or liquid to a person who may need an operation.

- If the victim is unconscious turn the head to one side to keep the person from choking. But do not move the head of a person who may have a spinal injury.

- Never give water to a person who is unconscious.

- Make sure that the victim has an open airway. The nose, mouth and throat should be clear in order for them to breathe.

- Make the victim comfortable but touch a person only if you have to.

- If necessary move the victim away from the sun or put them into the shade.

- Remain calm and talk to the injured person. Explain what is being done and say that help is on its way.

The airlines of many countries provide CAs with an individual kit for first aid. It typically contains:

mild pain killers antiseptic cream or liquid

mild anti-travel sickness tablets anti-malaria tablets

indigestion tablets eye drops

a wide range of dressings nose drops

splints a range of antiseptics

heart stimulants

Medical training is given to flight crews by an airline, but for reasons of communication they need to be familiar with English terminology. Diagnosing an illness or assessing an injury is based on the signs and symptoms of a patient. Signs are things which can be seen, such as swelling, external bleeding etc. Symptoms are things which the patient can feel but which can’t be seen: headache, pain, for example. Symptoms can only be established by the use of language. Language is also essential for giving instructions to a patient.

Answer the following questions.

1. What is first aid?

2. What kind of information should you give when you call for help?

3. Which organs should be cleaned in order for a person to breathe properly?

4. When can the first aid be especially vital?

5. What mustn’t you do if an injured person has bone injures?

6. What is the difference between signs and symptoms?

7. Why is it important that you can communicate in English about illnesses?

Speak about the main rules while giving first aid. Try to mention as many as you can.

Describe the sorts of things you would expect to find in a typical first aid kit.

Put appropriate words in the gaps.

life-saving medical aid minimal series sick non-doctor

First Aid is the immediate and temporary proper 1____provided to a 2 _____or injured person until 3 _____treatment can be provided. It generally consists of 4 _____of simple, 5 _____medical techniques that a 6 _____or lay person can be trained to perform with 7 _____equipment.

Match the conditions that often require first aid with their translation.

1. altitude sickness 2. choking 3. childbirth 4. heart attack 5. hyperthermia 6. unconsciousness 7. arrhythmia 8. wound 9. toothache 10. bleeding 11. poisoning

a. ранение b. гипертермия перенагрев? c. кровотечение d. аритмия e. зубная боль f. отравление g. сердечный приступ h. высотная болезнь i. удушье j. роды k. бессознательное состояние

Fill in the correct words from the box to complete the text.

allergy	blood	blow
brain	breathing	chest
cloth	clots	confused
fresh	ice	inhaled
instructions	legs	oxygen
press	repeat	resuscitation
shock	sting	swallow
wound	poisoned

When a person suffers from 1_____their blood cannot carry enough 2_____to the 3_____ and to other organs. Such people may look afraid, 4_____ or week. The best way to treat such a victim is to lay the person on the back and raise the 5_____ a little.

When we cut ourselves with a knife 6_____comes out of our body. After a short time it 7_____so we don’t need to worry. However, if there is a big 8_____you have to stop bleeding in another way. Put a sterile 9_____or towel around the wound and press on it until help arrives.

A person who has10_____something poisonous may die in a few minutes if he or she doesn’t get the right help. If you 11_____something dangerous find out what it is, then call a doctor and follow the 12_____that you are given. If someone has 13_____a poisonous gas move them to the window or get them out into the 14_____air.

Run cold water or put 15_____on an insect 16_____. Never use oil or butter. If a person has an 17_____towards insect stings call a doctor or take the person to a hospital.

Victims who have stopped 18_____can die if they don’t get oxygen for a few minutes. In such a case, start with mouth-to-mouth 19_____immediatly. Lay the person on his or her back, 20_____the nose together and put your mouth over the victim’s mouth. Then try to 21_____air into him or her and watch the 22_____rise. Wait until the air comes out again and 23_____this action until help arrives.

Answer the questions in your own words.

1. What should you do if a person is in a shock?

2. Why do small wounds stop bleeding after a certain time?

3. What should you do if bleeding doesn’t stop?

4. In which way may a person be poisoned?

5. What should you do if you are stung by a bee?

6. What are the actions to help a person who stopped breathing?

19. Describe a picture.

Stress

Before reading the text, answer the following questions.

1. How often do you feel stressed? Why?

2. How does your mood and behavior change in stressful situations?

3. How do you usually cope with stress?

Stress – Signs, Symptoms and How to Manage Stress

Stress is a feeling we have when we react to events that don’t make us feel very good. Such events can happen at school, like a test or examination, at work, like getting a new boss or in your private life, like preparing for a divorce.

Our body has certain hormones that it releases during time of stress. In this period more adrenalin gets into our blood. The hormones make our heartbeat go up and change our blood pressure and the way we breathe. Blood vessels become wider and let more blood pass through. Our body heats up and produces sweat to cool it down.

Stress response is what our body does to fight stress. It makes us cope with stress and do well during the situations. Stress response happens, for example, when we are in the car and step on the brakes to avoid an accident.

Stress can also be long term, like preparing for difficult exam or having private problems with our parents, teachers or friends. Stress happens when we work too much and don’t have time to relax. This long-term stress keep s our body alert and pumps hormones into our bloodstream for a longer time. This can hurt our body, make us tired and weaken our immune system.

Although the right amount of stress can be good, too much stress isn’t. A little stress can motivate us to study hard. But if stress lasts too long our body can’t cope with it any more. Some people overact to stress and even make small problems too difficult to solve. They feel worried, upset and anxious all the time.

Signs of stress. People who are experiencing long-term stress may have the following symptoms:

- panic attacks

- the feeling of constant pressure on them

- they change mood quickly

- stomach problems, headaches

- sleeping problems

- drink too much alcohol

- smoking

- depression

How to keep stress under control. Managing stress is not an easy thing to do. Knowing how to de-stress can keep it under control:

- Don’t think you can do everything. Concentrate on the things that are important

- Be realistic – don’t try to be perfect

- Get enough sleep! It helps your body relax

- Learn simple breathing exercises and use them in stressful situations

- Read a book or take a relaxing bath

- Treat your body well. Get enough exercise, go for long walks or run

- Give your body the right food and enough vitamins

- Think positively. Many people who endure long-term stress are pessimistic

- Solve small problems. This gives you a feeling that you are in a control. It gives you confidence and you can manage bigger problems better.

Answer the questions.

1. What is stress?

2. How does a person’s body response to stress?

3. Name the possible causes of stress.

4. Do you agree that sometimes stress can do good? Why yes/no?

5. What are the symptoms of stress?

6. What are the wars of managing stress?

V. Transport. Traveling.

Means of air travel

Match the name of an air carrier with its explanation.

seaplane/hydroplane glider helicopter hot-air ballon light aircraft airship fighter

1. a small plane with seats for no more than about six passengers

2. a plane that can take off from and land on water

3. a fast military plane designed to attack other aircraft

4. a light aircraft that flies without an engine

5. a large aircraft without wings, filled with a gas which is lighter than air, and driven by engines

6. an aircraft without wings that has large blades on top that go round. It can fly straight up from the ground and ition in the air

7. a large ballon made of strong material that is filled with hot air or gas to make it rise in the air, usually carrying a basket for passengers

Now define each means of air transport.

Travel troubles

3. Match the words/word combinations in the box with the definitions below.

take off	air-traffic control	baggage reclaim	carousel
charter flight	check-in	departure gate	technical hitch
industrial action	long-haul flight	passport control	scheduled flight

1. The place at an airport where you get your luggage after a flight.

2. A flight over a long distance.

3. In an airport, a circular conveyor belt from which passengers collect their luggage after a flight.

4. A flight in an aircraft in which all the seats have been bought by a travel company and then sold to the customers, usually at a cheaper price than seats on a scheduled flight.

5. The system or people involved in directing the movement of aircraft over a particular area, including the giving of instructions to pilots so that they know when and where to take off and land.

6. Of an aircraft, to leave the ground and begin to fly.

7. A place in an airport where you show your ticket, are given your seat number, get your luggage taken, etc.

8. The area in an airport through which passengers go to board their flights.

9. Action usually involving stopping work, taken by workers in protest against something, such as working conditions, insufficient pay, etc.

10. The examination of travelers’ passports; the place where this is carried out.

11. A flight in an aircraft which is organized by the company which owns it, and which operates on a regular basis at the same time of day, week, etc.

12. A temporary, often minor problem, often caused by the failure of a piece of machinery, etc.

Before reading the text, discuss the following questions.

1. From the title, what do you think the passage is about?

2. What do you like and dislike about travel?

Travel troubles

Every year, it seems, more and more people are going on holiday abroad. This means that more and more people are also experiencing discomfort of foreign travel. This often starts at an airport and doesn’t depend on the airline you are using.

At least at peak holiday times, there are queues at the check-in and then more queues at passport control as you go into the departure lounge. Then, there is often the possibility of delayed flights. These tend to be more common if you are travelling by charter flight, but they are no means unknown on scheduled flights.

Sometimes such delays are due to technical hitches or to the very large numbers of planes which now take off and land. However, some, in Europe at least, are the result of industrial action by staff. The holiday season is a favourite time for baggage handlers, air-traffic control personnel, or other airport staff to take such action.

Still, eventually you get to the departure gate, board the plane, find your seat and fasten your seat belt ready for take off. Members of the cabin crew will very likely serve you with food and drink and, unless you are on a long-haul flight, it will seem a relatively short time before you land.

Now it is the time to follow the signs to the baggage reclaim area of the airport and wait by the carousel for your luggage, hoping that it has not been left behind or been sent to the wrong airport. Not surprisingly, given the amount of luggage that is taken on board planes by travelers, it is quite common for luggage to go missing.

Fortunately, this is usually a temporary state of affairs. The individual pieces of luggage are labeled, making it relatively easy for airlines to track them.

Answer the questions.

1. Name the inconveniences faced by air travelers at the airport.

2. Give several causes for flight delays.

3. When industrial actions are usually taken by airport stuff? What staff usually takes them?

4. Why can luggage be lost? Why is it possible for it to be found?

Complete the sentences below by giving your view.

1. I think that air travel has the advantage of…….

2. I think that air travel has the disadvantage of…….

3. If I have a choice of travelling by air or by another means, I would…….

Air-rage

Aggressive behavior or air-rage can be a major problem on board an aircraft, presenting a threat at times to the cabin crew or other passengers, or even more seriously, to the safe operation of a flight. There are several reasons why the experience of flying itself may cause a passenger to behave in such a way. The feeling of being enclosed, the stress of the pre-flight check-in and security procedures, the stress caused by delay, a fear of flying or the side effects of any drugs or alcohol the passenger may have consumed are all possible causes of subsequent unreasonable behavior on board. A passenger may also have an underlying mental health problem which becomes worse when they are subjected to the stress of flying.

The consequences of antisocial or aggressive behavior during a flight can be serious. Apart from the actual harm unruly passengers may cause to themselves or others, the pilots might decide that a diversion is necessary in the interests of the safety of all on board. This will be costly for airline. Unruly passengers can expect to be arrested once on the ground and may face serious legal repercussions. Increasingly, prison sentences, sometimes lengthy, are handed out to act as a deterrent.

The main precaution that an airline can take is to stop any passengers who exhibit signs of unruly behavior on the ground from boarding. Passengers who are drunk, for example, can often be identified and stopped at the gate. Many airlines serve less alcohol on board than they used to, or even no alcohol at all, particularly on short haul flights. But unruly behavior has many other causes which can often not be detected until it is too late. Cabin crew undergo training as to how to respond to unruly behavior on board in an effort to contain the problem before it becomes too serious and a diversion becomes necessary.

Answer the questions.

1. How should a person behave during the journey?

2. What are the possible causes of aggressive behavior on board?

3. What are the ways of coping with air-rage?

4. How can airlines prevent air-rage incidents?

Tell about any air-rage incident.

Fire

Fire on board an aircraft is an extremely dangerous hazard. With powerful engines and the carrying of large quantities of fuel on board, a certain risk clearly exists. This was especially true in the early days of aviation. Since then, aircraft manufacturers have made great progress in minimizing the risk of fire. The materials for cabin fittings are carefully chosen, smoke detectors give an early warning to the flight crew and the fire extinguishers are readily available on board to deal immediately with any minor incidents in the cabin. Moreover, there are strict rules as to what goods passengers may carry on board or place in the cargo hold.

A fire in one of the engines is always a possibility, though modern engine reliability is continually improving. The pilot usually receives an immediate warning in the cockpit and the safest procedure is to shut down the affected engine by cutting off the fuel supply to it. The pilot can then extinguish what remains of the fire by discharging the fire bottles. Afterwards the aircraft can either continue to its destination or the pilots can look for a suitable diversionary airport if they judge the distance to destination to be too great to continue safely.

Evacuation procedures. When an aircraft carries out an emergency landing, fire-fighting services should be on standby to deal with any fire which may break out. Cabin crew are trained for this scenario and the rules governing the availability of emergency exits and escape chutes on all aircraft are strict. If the cabin is full with smoke, the strip lighting on the floor will guide passengers to one of these exits.

Air traffic control and fire-fighting services. When a fire breaks out on board an aircraft, it is the pilot’s responsibility to deal with the situation. The pilot may declare an emergency and may need to land as soon as possible. In this case the air traffic controller will need to make sure that the fire service are standing by on the ground and that they have as much information as possible about the problem. Even when there is no actual fire on board, a controller may need to alert the fire service if a pilot is making an emergency landing, as in many situations there is a real risk of fire breaking out.

Answer the questions.

1. What parts of an aircraft can a fire be discovered in?

2. What makes a fire on board be possible hazard?

3. What have been done to minimize the risk of fire on board since the early period of aviation?

4. What equipment is available on board to cope with fire?

5. What are pilots’ actions in dealing with fire?

6. Name things that are necessary for evacuation procedure.

7. What are ATC’s actions when a pilot declares fire emergency?

Read and complete the text with the words from the box.

alerted bang circled emergency failure fuel passengers return shut passengers

Jumbo flies across the Atlantic on just three engines.

A Boeing 747 had to 1)……….down one of its four engines just after taking off from Los Angeles on a flight bound for Heathrow airport. The aircraft subsequently continued its flight to London. It eventually needed to make an 2)……….landing in Manchester, due to concerns over low 3)………levels. Some aviation safety experts have questioned the decision of the pilots to continue with the flight rather than returning to Los Angeles. The airline issued a statement saying that safety was not compromised at any time, and that the aircraft was able to operate on its three remaining engines with no risk to 4)………..

Air traffic controllers and local residents saw sparkling coming from the engine and passengers reported hearing a loud 5)………just after take-off. The aircraft climbed to 5,000 ft and 6)………for some time while the pilots decided what to do next. They informed passengers of the engine 7)………and contacted their company officers to discuss the situation. They then took the decision to continue the flight.

Critics have claimed that the pilots might have been under commercial pressure to take this decision, as a 8)…….to Los Angeles airport would have left the airline with an expensive bill for compensating the 351 passengers on board. Under new European 9)………, this bill could have been as high as $200,000. The airline, however, denies that this was a factor in the decision taken to fly on across the Atlantic.

Controllers at Los Angeles airport were apparently surprised at the pilots’ decision to carry on. They had 10)………fire services in the expectation that the aircraft would return. Comments from safety experts have varied. Some claim that it is not a problem to lose one engine on a four-engine aircraft. They point out that there are lots of twin-engine aircraft crossing the Atlantic. Others are convinced that the new European regulations will inevitably increase the pressure on pilots in such situations. The debate is likely to continue.

Work in pairs. Discuss the following questions.

1. Do you agree that the pilots were under commercial pressure? Prove your idea.

2. Would you have wanted to continue the flight to the UK if you had been a passenger on this flight? Why yes/no?

3. At the moment there is no international regulations on this particular issue, do you think there should be? Why?

4. Do you think that the pilots made the correct decision? Why yes/no?

16. Tell about the incident/accident connected with fire.

Dangerous goods

Dangerous goods are items that may endanger the safety of an aircraft or persons on board the aircraft. Dangerous goods are known as restricted articles, hazardous materials and dangerous cargo. They are liquid or solid substances and articles containing them, that have been tested and assessed against internationally-agreed criteria – a process called classification – and found to be potentially dangerous (hazardous) when carried. Dangerous goods are assigned to different Classes depending on their predominant hazard.

Match the label with its name.

a) Radioactive Materials

b) Explosives

c) Corrosive Materials

d) Flammables

e) Toxic Materials

f) Oxidizing Materials

Дата добавления: 2015-10-24