Malaysian doctor and wife save SIA passenger who suffered from anaphylactic shock six hours before landing
A Malaysian doctor and his wife saved a man’s life during a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight from New Zealand to Singapore on Monday (11 May), after the passenger suffered a sudden anaphylactic shock.
The incident occurred about six hours before the flight was scheduled to land.
Man falls unconscious following severe symptoms
According to 8 World, Dr Wu Jinfeng (name transliterated from Mandarin), 34, who was travelling with his wife, Dr Chen Peijun (name transliterated from Mandarin), and their five-year-old son, was alerted over the cabin intercom about a medical emergency.
The victim, a New Zealand man in his 50s, had lost consciousness and was exhibiting severe symptoms, including hypoxia and a dangerously low heart rate.
Source: Mikhail Nilov on Canva, for illustration purposes only
Wife administers oxygen, man regains consciousness
While Dr Wu first attended to his son, his wife immediately assisted the unresponsive passenger.
She applied an oxygen mask to the man, who regained consciousness after two minutes.
The couple worked quickly to stabilise the passenger, who was suffering from a swollen tongue, red rashes, and a heart rate as low as 38 beats per minute.
Passenger has history of stroke and heart disease
The rescue was particularly complicated due to the patient’s history of stroke and heart disease.
Despite the limited medical equipment on board, Dr Wu and his wife administered intravenous fluids and oxygen until the man’s condition stabilised.
Source: Hieu on Unsplash
Dr Wu later confirmed that the passenger was breathing independently and no longer required intravenous fluids or supplemental oxygen before the plane landed at Changi Airport, according to Shin Min Daily News.
Upon arrival, the man was handed over to the airport’s medical team for further observation and the medical couple continued on their connecting flight.
Flight continued to Singapore without emergency diversion
Authorities confirmed that the flight continued to Singapore without needing an emergency diversion, thanks to the swift actions of Dr Wu and his wife.
Meanwhile, Dr Wu advised passengers with pre-existing conditions or allergies to always carry a summary of their medical history and current medications.
Having this information readily available can help improve emergency response times.
He also revealed that he had dealt with three medical emergencies during flights in the last 45 days, though the other two were less critical.
Also read: S’pore PR couple saves man who had a seizure onboard flight from Osaka
S’pore PR couple saves man who had a seizure onboard flight from Osaka
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Featured image adapted from Mikhail Nilov on Canva, for illustration purposes only, and Hieu on Unsplash.
