Neurologists call for benzodiazepines to be added to airline emergency medical kits

Airline emergency medical kits should include benzodiazepines so that cabin crew and responding clinicians can treat passengers who have a seizure mid-flight, according to a Viewpoint published in JAMA Neurology.

Seizures are among the more common in-flight medical events, and benzodiazepines are the standard first-line treatment for a seizure that does not stop on its own. The authors argue that the current contents of airline emergency medical kits leave clinicians who volunteer to assist during a flight without access to the medication they would ordinarily reach for.

The Viewpoint sets out the case for adding the drug class to standard kits and discusses the practical considerations involved, including which formulations would be appropriate at altitude and in a confined cabin setting, and how a controlled substance would be stored and accounted for on board.

Emergency medical kit contents are set by regulators, so any change to what airlines carry would require action at that level rather than by individual carriers.

The corresponding author is Joseph I. Sirven, MD, of the Department of Neurology at Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, Arizona.

Read the full article: A Call for Benzodiazepines in Airline Emergency Medical Kits