The cabin crew of Emirates Airbus A340-500 aircraft can now obtain clinically-accurate vital signs data from a passenger taken ill in flight. This is the result of the introduction of a passenger health monitoring system, Tempus, acquired from UK-based Remote Diagnostic Technologies Ltd. Tempus records a passenger’s blood pressure, pulse rate, temperature, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels. The data is then sent via the in-flight communications system to emergency medical specialists at the Med link Response Centre in Phoenix, USA, who diagnose the problem and advise the crew on the best course of action. Emirates is one of only three airlines worldwide that have purchased the technology. “Emirates takes the health and safety of its passengers very seriously. We are confident that with Tempus, our customers will receive the best medical care currently available on board aircraft today,” said Dr. Cliff Webster, Emirates Senior Vice President of Medical Services. “The system enables medical teams on the ground to differentiate between a serious and a minor medical condition, which will reassure an ill passenger:’ Emirates pursers and senior flight stewards have been trained in the use of the Tempus monitoring system, which has been installed in all Emirates Airbus A340-500 aircraft. These currently fly between Dubai and New York, Osaka, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Christchurch.
