Airports - Critical Care

Are airports in India equipped to tackle aviation related emergencies?

Recently an airbus 310 chartered from Jordanian Airlines had a technical problem with its pressurisation system in flight at high altitude. The aircraft with 210 passengers onboard was flying at approximately 33,000 ft when it experienced sudden loss of cabin pressure. Full details of technical failure are not known but the pilot had descended rapidly at approximately 7,500 ft per minute and had made an emergency landing at Muscat International Airport. On landing, one passenger collapsed even as 73 were diagnosed with varying degrees of baro-otalgia, otitic barotrauma and sinus barotrauma. Few had bleeding ears and noses.

Initially, the passengers were provided medical treatment at the airport emergency clinic; subsequently, they were treated as OPD cases at the local military hospital and declared unfit to fly for three days. The one who had collapsed was hospitalised for three days and treated symptomatically till full recovery. All those affected were flown to their destinations after four days by another aircraft.

Aspects of the episode

Aero-medical: While all 210 passengers were exposed to the same environmental conditions, how is it that only 73 were affected by the rapid descent following loss of cabin pressure? Pressure changes can affect human beings quite dramatically as the episode above illustrates. The human body has a number of cavities that are filled with air. Of special significance are those located within the skull since the bony cage prevents any scope of distention. Reduction in atmospheric pressure will cause the air in the bony cavities to expand. This causes severe pain and discomfort in the sinuses during rapid descent in the event of pressurisation failure.