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An English doctor on a ski trip to Italy used an Apple Watch to help an elderly woman experiencing a medical emergency on his flight. When a woman in her 70s found herself short of breath on a Ryanair flight from Birmingham to Verona earlier this month, the cabin crew asked if there were any medical professionals on the plane. Dr Rashid Riaz, an internal medicine specialist from Hereford, stepped forward to help.
Using an Apple Watch he borrowed from a flight attendant, Riaz was able to monitor the woman’s oxygen levels and heartbeat. He soon discovered she had a low oxygen saturation level and, using an oxygen cylinder he got from the crew, was able to give the woman supplemental oxygen. The doctor continued monitoring her vitals until they landed in Italy about an hour later.
Once safely on the ground, the woman quickly recovered and was escorted off the plane by medical staff. Reflecting on the incident, Dr Riaz says it was fortunate that he was able to use the watch to help the woman and he praised the Ryanair staff for handling the emergency. He also called on airlines to consider stocking a standard emergency physician kit on future flights.
Source: BBC