Airline policy relating to passengers with epilepsy
C. J. Mumford and C. P. Warlow
Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, Scotland.
OBJECTIVE: To identify the policy of international airlines for the
carriage of passengers with epilepsy. DESIGN: Postal questionnaire asking
about policy for epileptic passengers, training of cabin crew, onboard
drugs suitable for the treatment of seizures, and details of any problems
reported by crews as a result of in-flight passenger seizures.
PARTICIPANTS: The questionnaire was addressed to the medical advisors of 42
international airlines. RESULTS: Thirty (71%) of 42 airlines responded.
Eleven (37%) of the 30 airlines that responded had a stated policy or
restriction on the carriage of passengers with epilepsy. Five of these
airlines advised increasing the dose of anticonvulsant drugs before travel.
One airline insisted that epileptic passengers travel with a companion.
Twenty-five (83%) of 30 airlines dealt specifically with epilepsy in the
training program of their cabin crews. Seventeen (57%) of 30 airlines
carried diazepam onboard, mostly in injectable form. Most airlines reported
no, or very few, incidents of in-flight passenger seizures annually.
CONCLUSIONS: The advice offered to intending epileptic passengers differs
greatly between airlines. Some airlines instruct intending passengers to
increase their regular medication, probably without justification, since
in-flight seizures are very infrequent. Training of cabin crew and the
medical equipment carried onboard also vary and in some cases are
inadequate.