Andy Hui, PharmD, BCPS, second from right, with four other pharmacy convention-goers who jumped in to help a passenger in distress on their flight home. Photo credit: Rafay Ali, PharmD
What happened in Vegas wasn’t as exciting as the return flight home for a group of pharmacists attending an industry convention in early December. Andy Hui, PharmD, BCPS, a pharmacy oncology manager for Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC), was one of five pharmacists who jumped in to help a fellow passenger with a medical emergency on their United Airlines flight to Newark, New Jersey.
Hui was returning from the 2022 American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting & Exhibition. About 40 minutes into the flight, he heard a commotion. A man had had a seizure and a flight attendant was shouting for assistance from any medical personnel on board. That’s when a woman in the last row announced she was a pharmacist and went to help.
The man appeared to stabilize, but 30 minutes later, he went to use the bathroom in the back of the plane and fell to the floor, striking his head on the way down. Hui, four other pharmacists, and a pharmacy student sprang into action.
“None of us had met prior to that, but we quickly bonded as we worked together to make sure the patient was okay,” Hui said.
They rolled the man onto his side so he wouldn’t choke, correctly anticipating he might vomit. While a flight attendant spoke to a medic on the ground, the team discussed possible causes of his symptoms and checked his vital signs using the plane’s first-aid kit.
Hui recalled it was challenging working in tight quarters and communicating over the noise of jet engines. Because the man was traveling alone and groggy from what they presumed was a second seizure, they had to piece together his health information using whatever clues they could find, such as searching his bag for any medications he may have been taking.
Someone suggested putting an Apple watch on the man to check his pulse rate, oxygen levels and heartbeat.
Eventually, the patient regained full consciousness and was able to take a seat in the back of the plane. The group stayed by his side until paramedics boarded after landing to escort him out.
Like Hui, the other pharmacists on his flight were health system pharmacists, exposed regularly to clinical emergencies, familiar with medical jargon, and accustomed to thinking on their feet.
“There is a common misconception that pharmacists are limited to counting pills, which is an oversimplification of their skillset,” Hui said. “All pharmacists receive more comprehensive training than most people are aware, including differential (possible causes of symptoms) and diagnosis as well as clinical presentation and treatment.”