Re: Long distance flights and Sudden Cardiac Death

June 14, 2008

Gee a great reason for me to up my insurance.

LNM from Baku, AZ

Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

Long distance flights and Sudden Cardiac Death

Tim Russert, who I considered an honest journalist (seemingly an oxymoron, I

know<g>) died of a 'heart attack'. As reported by the media, he had a history of

aymptomatic CAD and cardiomyopathy.

It turns out that Russert had a heart attack caused by a piece of plaque

breaking free and obstructing the LAD, which resulted in ischemia, infarction

and irreversible V-fib.

A thought about the plaque breaking loose... it has been suggested that long

flights (US / Australia) have been known to result in deep vein thrombi, with

the affected leg becoming swollen, hot and tender. It is suggested that people

well hydrate and get up occasionally during the flight to reduce the probability

of this occuring.

Might it be that on the shorter trans-Atlantic trip, similar events could occur,

particularly in an already enlarged heart, as Russert had? He had recently

returned to the US from Rome, where he had taken his wife and son, Luke, as a

graduation present for Luke on his graduation from Boston College.

Perhaps the recommendations for long distance (8-12 hour) flights should be

extended to all flights?

" A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the

simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. "

Proverbs 22:3

June 14, 2008

My last long flight was from here to Thailand with a stop at Narita for an

hour. It was about 18 hours total each way, a little longer coming back. The

great folks on Thai Airways brought water and juice around every hour or so and

also encouraged us to get up and walk. At one point there were a whole

bunch of us walking laps around the plane.

GG

>

> Gee a great reason for me to up my insurance.

>

> LNM from Baku, AZ

> Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

>

> Long distance flights and Sudden Cardiac Death

>

> Tim Russert, who I considered an honest journalist (seemingly an oxymoron, I

> know<g>) died of a 'heart attack'. As reported by the media, he had a

> history of aymptomatic CAD and cardiomyopathy.

>

> It turns out that Russert had a heart attack caused by a piece of plaque

> breaking free and obstructing the LAD, which resulted in ischemia, infarction

> and irreversible V-fib.

>

> A thought about the plaque breaking loose... it has been suggested that long

> flights (US / Australia) have been known to result in deep vein thrombi,

> with the affected leg becoming swollen, hot and tender. It is suggested that

> people well hydrate and get up occasionally during the flight to reduce the

> probability of this occuring.

>

> Might it be that on the shorter trans-Atlantic trip, similar events could

> occur, particularly in an already enlarged heart, as Russert had? He had

> recently returned to the US from Rome, where he had taken his wife and son,

Luke,

> as a graduation present for Luke on his graduation from Boston College.

>

> Perhaps the recommendations for long distance (8-12 hour) flights should be

> extended to all flights?

>

> " A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the

> simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. " A

> Proverbs 22:3

>

June 14, 2008

Donnie,

Is there any common setting that these syncope patients present in? On

arriving flights? Waiting for flights? Anything you can spot as a trend?

Gene G.

>

> I am a medic at DFW Airport, and although there is a higher

> probability of this, we see very little complaints that could be

> consistent with DVTs, PEs, or other complications from emboli. Most

> of the airlines that we deal with do encourage folks to get up and

> walk around; however, to the inexperienced traveler, it probably is

> not that important to do this.

>

> Not to throw a wrench into things, but we encounter a tremendous

> amount of syncopal episodes and they could easily be considered the

> number one complaint. We average over 3000 requests for EMS per

> year, and I would say that at least 1/3 are related to some sort of

> loss of consciousness. There are many medical theories behind this,

> and most of the time, the patients are in good physical health with

> no significant medical history. We obtain vital signs, EKG

> (sometimes 12 leads), blood sugars, and a full exam to find that

> most have no long term findings. Even with our best efforts, most of

> these folks refuse to allow transport, and beg to continue traveling.

>

> D. Stone

>

> --- In texasems-l@yahoogrotexasem, wegandy1938@, wegandy1

> >

> > My last long flight was from here to Thailand with a stop at Narita

> for an

> > hour. It was about 18 hours total each way, a little longer

> coming back. The

> > great folks on Thai Airways brought water and juice around every

> hour or so and

> > also encouraged us to get up and walk. At one point there were a

> whole

> > bunch of us walking laps around the plane.

> >

> > GG

> >

> > >

> > > Gee a great reason for me to up my insurance.

> > >

> > > LNM from Baku, AZ

> > > Sent via BlackBerry by AT & T

> > >

> > > Long distance flights and Sudden Cardiac

> Death

> > >

> > > Tim Russert, who I considered an honest journalist (seemingly an

> oxymoron, I

> > > know<g>) died of a 'heart attack'. As reported by the media, he

> had a

> > > history of aymptomatic CAD and cardiomyopathy.

> > >

> > > It turns out that Russert had a heart attack caused by a piece of

> plaque

> > > breaking free and obstructing the LAD, which resulted in

> ischemia, infarction

> > > and irreversible V-fib.

> > >

> > > A thought about the plaque breaking loose... it has been

> suggested that long

> > > flights (US / Australia) have been known to result in deep vein

> thrombi,

> > > with the affected leg becoming swollen, hot and tender. It is

> suggested that

> > > people well hydrate and get up occasionally during the flight to

> reduce the

> > > probability of this occuring.

> > >

> > > Might it be that on the shorter trans-Atlantic trip, similar

> events could

> > > occur, particularly in an already enlarged heart, as Russert had?

> He had

> > > recently returned to the US from Rome, where he had taken his

> wife and son, Luke,

> > > as a graduation present for Luke on his graduation from Boston

> College.

> > >

> > > Perhaps the recommendations for long distance (8-12 hour) flights

> should be

> > > extended to all flights?

> > >

> > > " A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for

> them; the

> > > simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. " A

> > > Proverbs 22:3

> > >

June 14, 2008

Are these syncopes orthostatic hypotension?

GG

>

> To save fuel costs, I suspect the airlines are keeping the cabin altitude as

> high as they reasonably can. Perhaps a combination of increased altitude and

> sitting too long are part of the equation.

>

> & nbsp;

> " A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the

> simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences. "

> Proverbs 22:3

>

> From: Donnie & lt;wdstone@... & gt;

> Subject: Re: Long distance flights and Sudden Cardiac Death

> To: texasems-l@yahoogrotexasem

> Date: Saturday, June 14, 2008, 3:39 PM