No blades on aircraft a liability?

I've read stories about airline passengers choking on food or having allergic reactions being saved by emergency tracheotomies. Now that everyone including the pilots are being de-bladed, I wonder how long it will take for someone onboard to die who would have otherwise survived. A lawsuit waiting to happen, I should think. <br><br>

>>A lawsuit waiting to happen, I should think<<<br>The lawsuit would have to be brought against the FAA, which probably wouldn't be very fruitful.<br><br>Another problem I see with the no-knife policy is that it really isn't that hard to smuggle knives or even guns onboard given our current screening capabilities and practices. A terrorist could easily walk onto any airplane with a box-cutter (or worse) under his clothing and it wouldn't set off the metal detector. The no-knife policy serves only to disarm all of the honest, law-abiding passengers who might otherwise be able to resist the terrorists. If I were a terrorist, I would be very much in favor of a no-knife policy on airplanes. It would make my job a lot easier and safer.<br><br>

Don't mean to burst your bubble re: emergency surgical airway. I trained in surgery (5 years) and practiced emergency medicine 17 years and was involved actively in EMS for most of that time. I have performed only a half-dozen cricothyroidotomies, including one on the highway roadside. I doubt that there is ANY justification for your argument in favor of carrying knives to perform kitchen-table surgery at 35,000 feet. Besides, there are precious few physicians that have a clue how to do the procedure and even fewer who actually would do it under these circumstances, to the detriment of perhaps one person per year. Balanced against the losses we just suffered at the hand of a bunch of morons armed with knives. Do the math.<br>Face it, some people are just gonna die for lack of medical help.....<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

I imagine we are all victims of Hollywood and urban myth. It is easy for Mcgyver to blow up a safe with a broken down .38spl round, or young Doctor Kildare to perform cranial trephanation with a nail file. My bubble was burst right after my my military discharge. I was handling .22 snakeshot and a freak detonation sent pellets into my right ring fingertip. I was told it would require extensive neurological reconstruction by Doctor A., but we had to wait for a specialist.Doctor B. arrived and demanded $5,000 up front from my non existent insurance. I finally staggered into the V.A. Hospital with my DD-214 in one hand. 5 hours after the accident a rather bemused Surgeon with two tours in Vietnam sat down with a probe, S/S pan, betadine and a lifetime of stories. 38 pellets and 3 stitches ( and a lecture about vets who should know better) later, I was still alive.<br><br>

I have been taught (under the table so to speak) how to do an emergency trach with the barrel of a ball point pen. Then it was explained to me that, after saving someones life, that person will probably sue me for malpractice. That is the real lawsuit waiting to happen.<br><br>

Actually not. The state could prosecute for "practice of medicine without a license" which is a criminal action. You could also be prosecuted for assault and battery (unwanted touching). It has been explained to me that these charges are actually relatively unlikely. For one that is qualified and permitted by law to NOT take action is actionable in civil court for neglect or negligence IF a physician-patient (NOT client) relationship exists....and it could exist if an MD would interact with the patient.<br><br>Any comments Billy Vann??<br><br>Jeffery S. Anderson, M.D.<br><br>

But don't they now have Good Samaritan laws to prevent exactly those kinds of lawsuits? I was raised that when someone needs help, you don't stand around waiting for official approval, you wade on in and do something.

Nope. Good Samaritan laws don't protect you from providing care beyond your level of qualification. They also do not prevent a lawsuit which would still require a defense.<br><br>Comments, Bill Vann?

>>>Any comments Billy Vann??<br><br>I'm no lawyer or an expert on legal issues in medicine. I'm just an IT kind of guy! :-)<br><br>But I do remember from Youth Protection Training that certain occupations are bound by law to act in situations where others are not required to act. Specifically, if a teacher suspects a student is a victim of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual or neglect), he or she is bound by law to notify the authorities. Whereas I am not legally bound to report suspected abuse, although the Boy Scout Youth Protection training recommended us that we are morally obligated. <br><br>I would guess that similar laws apply to physicians in a medical emergency. I also would guess that such laws are within the jurisdiction of the states and would therefore vary slightly from state to state as the plane crosses each border.<br><br>I am sure that if an emergency presented itself that a physician on board would take immediate action. And that some sharp implement could be found or improvised. (what about the contents of the on-board first aid kit? Are there any razor knives included in them?)<br><br>But I would be very leary about an average citizen performing such an operation. Having been trained to perform the technique is not quite the same as actgually cutting into a person's neck. I'd also be worried about the person's ability to make a correct diagnosis. Again, lack of experience could work against your descision making process. <br><br>Lastly, what if you were wrong and that was not the real problem. Or what if it was and you botched the technique. Or even if you did everytrhing right and the victim dies anyway. "Under the Table" training would not likely be a viable defense. It's not like CPR training where you can be certified. Plus CPR is non-invasive and is not likely to be a cause of death, but a misguided incision could casue death.<br><br>Fortunately, as Chris points out, it is something that's not a frequent occurance. Many folks today, but not all, are aware of their allergies and have medicines to address a sudden attack. You may be more inclined to borrow someone's abuterol inhaler to stop the symptoms. Although administering unprescribed medicine is risky too. But in a life and death situation there may not be many options. As far as I know, abuterol is not the type of medice that folks react adversely to, such as an allergy. But I'm not even sure on that account.

One should have more fear of a 6'4" 250 lbs angry black belt than me with a knife. (To quote someone else in this forum) If our national security is dependent upon someone not being able to smuggle a pen knife onto a plane we are in trouble!

Then I would say the message is, unfortunately, just keep walking.

Billy...sorry, I had the impression you were an attorney. Didn't mean to put you on the spot.<br>

When I successfully completed basic first aid in Boot Camp ( and not all did), and later in an advanced course for Motor lifeboat Coxswains, two things were repeated upon completion. A. The maxim "DO NO HARM" and B. As members of the Coast Guard we were legally obligated to render any and all assistance to any and all emergency services to any and all victims at all times. There were times when the best course of care was a requested helicopter medivac.

No problem. (I wondered what I said to tick you off <VBG>)<br><br>;-)