Lufthansa has equipped all long–haul aircraft with the mobile ECG (Electrocardiogram) system CardioSecur.
Initially tested in 2018 on the A380 fleet and now, it will be available for medical emergencies on all long-haul aircraft within the Lufthansa fleet, allowing flight attendants without cardiological expertise to record an ECG for passengers and send the test results directly to a medical hotline on the ground.
“The health of our passengers is very close to our hearts. Especially when they are feeling unwell on board, they should know that they are in good hands with Lufthansa. The results of the resting ECG conducted directly onboard the aircraft provide a better basis for deciding whether it is necessary to divert a plane in order to provide medical care on the ground in case of medical emergencies,” said Dr. Sven-Karsten Peters, a cardiologist with the Lufthansa Medical Service.
At just 50g CardioSecur consists of an app on the flight attendant’s Cabin Mobile Device (mini iPad) and a small bag with an ECG cable and four disposable electrodes. If a passenger complains of heart trouble, the system can record an ECG in a few short steps:
This data is then transferred from the app to the medical hotline of International SOS (ISOS), which evaluates the ECG and will advise the cockpit crew via telephone based on the gathered data. The cockpit crew will then have to make the final decision on whether it is necessary to divert the plane. If there is a doctor among the passengers on board, they can use the expert mode on the app to monitor the heart activity.
