Getting on a plane? DON'T COUGH too much . . .

[dodukes]

I agree too! i can't imagine having to be on the flight with someone coughing for TEN HOURS?!?!

Sorry but just because its an incovenience to you doenst mean its against the law or policy to not be sick on an airline, if not most people would be banned. I had the unfortunate pleasure of getting sick 4 days before flying to europe late last year. For me, it doenst matter what i get, even if im not sick, but with allergies and all, coughing is my biggest sympton. I may be fine otherwise(not runny nose or fever or anything esle) and not really contagious. If I had been told that I couldnt fly cuz I would be coughin for 8 hours next to someone, I would have been pissed and prob arrested at the words that woul dhave come out of my mouth. Nobody knows me like I know me. To tell me that its dangerous to fly cuz I was coughing or even this girl is ridiculous. I myself would be totally grossed out sitting next to someone sneezing or coughing on a plane but I understand that you cant control that stuff and when it happens (ie bding sick) I would just take plenty of vitamins with me for that.

 

[ducklite]

OK, I'll confess that I was in a similar situation myself not too long ago.

We were flying to Orlando from O'Hare (Chicago) a couple of years ago to go to WDW, of course. An annoucement was made asking for any doctors or nurses on the flight.

I identify myself as a pediatrician, and USUALLY, it is an adult having a problem, so I get "off the hook".

Well, this time, it is a 10 year old girl who is having respiratory difficulties. She was traveling alone, as an unaccompanied minor.


So, I head to the back galley area, where the girl, some flight attendants, and a couple of nurses are already gathered. The girl looks unhappy, but is not in distress. I find out that she is asthmatic, and she has a Baggie with her meds - Singulair and an albuterol inhaler, which she just used. I ask for a stethoscope, which the flight attendants get for me, and her lungs are actually pretty clear.

Well, to make a long story short, we continue to talk to the girl and after about 20 minutes, we find out that her parents are divorced, and she is being sent down to Florida to spend her summer visitation month with her dad and step-mom. She complains a lot about how she DISLIKES her dad and step-mom, and how she doesn't want to go, but has to. We eventually get her on to other topics, and her "breathing problem" goes away. By the time the plane lands, she is happier and feeling better.

So her "breathing problem" was really a manifestation of her unhappiness and anxiety, and not a severe asthma attack. Now, this was not a 10 hour flight, and we were already more than halfway there, but I'm glad everything turned out well, and we continued on.

One of the things that can cause my chest to tighten (I'm ashtmatic) is stress. I don't neccessarily begin coughing (I cough rather than wheezing) and usually relaxing for a minute or two will make the symptoms subside. I wonder if the young lady was maybe feeling some stress about her situation?

Glad to know you were able to help her!

ETA--I had a bad time of it with asthma about a year ago. Other than a ten day period where I was under daily doctors care to keep me from being intubated and wouldn't have been flying anyhow, I was stable but still recovering. So I was coughing, alot. I flew twice in that time frame. I certainly wasn't contagious, nor was I not fit to fly. My doctor had cleared me to fly the day before I did both times, and if an airline put me off the plane after I was medically cleared by my personal doctor, they would have been sued for trying to practice medicine without a license.

Anne

 

[helenabear]

I would think that the doctor that looks at you now knows your medical history and knows if you have any underlying conditions that would cause you to cough really bad. A total stranger doctor giving her a quick once over would not know this.

I guess I disagree. My doctor (regular MD, not specialist) has only seen me 3 times total in the last 5 years. Yes THREE times. She doesn't know me or my history from a stranger. I've been in for a back injury, once for a strep test and once for a possible broken ankle. That's it. No history there at all to look at. I haven't even seen her in 1.5 years or more. I do not see a "stranger doctor" as a valid point at all

 

[cardaway]

I'm also wiht the pilot. Oddly enough very few people have a problem complaining about folks who go to work or school sick.

 

[hydster]

The pilot was wrong. To all of you saying the guy who IS a doctor and listened to her should be ignored because he didn't know her.....WHY? If you go to the ER or you go to an after hours clinic........same thing. THEY don't know you either so if you see someone besides your primary care physician and he/she gives you a diagnosis you just disregard it because they don't know you personally? That is seriously odd!

I am pretty sure they all go to Med school and learn the basics like.....oh I don't know...how to listen if her lungs were clear and stuff. Why is he not qualified to say she doesn't have anything seriously wrong with her and the pilot not believe him??

Also no one knows if she would have coughed the entire flight or just a few extra minutes. Thinking she "might" cough for 10 hours is kind of a crappy reason to kick her off the flight. I agree the nyquil would have knocked her out for a good portion of the flight and if she woke up and started coughing again she could take some more.

She deserves an apology and hopefully the airline will make it right with her, her family and those traveling with her who were inconvenienced by this obviously poor decision.

 

[iloveboardwalk]

I side with the pilot on this one. I do feel bad for the teen, but the pilot had to make a call one way or the other. Maybe the pilot was overly cautious, but I wouldn't call him a "butthead" or an "idiot"

 

[4cruisin]

Sorry but just because its an incovenience to you doenst mean its against the law or policy to not be sick on an airline, if not most people would be banned. I had the unfortunate pleasure of getting sick 4 days before flying to europe late last year. For me, it doenst matter what i get, even if im not sick, but with allergies and all, coughing is my biggest sympton. I may be fine otherwise(not runny nose or fever or anything esle) and not really contagious. If I had been told that I couldnt fly cuz I would be coughin for 8 hours next to someone, I would have been pissed and prob arrested at the words that woul dhave come out of my mouth. Nobody knows me like I know me. To tell me that its dangerous to fly cuz I was coughing or even this girl is ridiculous. I myself would be totally grossed out sitting next to someone sneezing or coughing on a plane but I understand that you cant control that stuff and when it happens (ie bding sick) I would just take plenty of vitamins with me for that.

My thought is that the pilot was erring on the side of caution because he could not be sure that she wasn't contagious/infectious to the other passengers not so much because her coughing would be an inconvenience to other passengers. He was probably also very concerned for her own well being. What the heck was he supposed to do if she started having severe respiratory distress over the ocean....can't just land on a dime.

We flew from Fl. Lauderdale to Boston a couple of weeks ago. I am asthmatic and whatever I catch now goes to my lungs. While waiting in the airport, I can't tell you how many people were hacking and sneezing around me. I cringed but what can you do? I didn't have a choice and I boarded the plane...so far so good.

Personally, if I was the girl's parent's, I can understand them being somewhat miffed originally but after considering the what if's, I would have been happy that she took a later flight.

BTW, as far as compensation for the pilot's decision, I think people are out of line for expecting anything.

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

And this was a Dr on the plane who listened to her chest. Not someone who knew her at all.

"A doctor onboard even did a brief physical, said she sounded clear, to give her some NyQuil and she'd be fine, but the pilot didn't want to listen to that."

The doctors in the ER have never seen my asthmatic daughters and yet we let them diagnose and treat them, how is this different?!

 

[Fan2CSkr]

The pilot was wrong. To all of you saying the guy who IS a doctor and listened to her should be ignored because he didn't know her.....WHY? If you go to the ER or you go to an after hours clinic........same thing. THEY don't know you either so if you see someone besides your primary care physician and he/she gives you a diagnosis you just disregard it because they don't know you personally? That is seriously odd!

I am pretty sure they all go to Med school and learn the basics like.....oh I don't know...how to listen if her lungs were clear and stuff. Why is he not qualified to say she doesn't have anything seriously wrong with her and the pilot not believe him??

Also no one knows if she would have coughed the entire flight or just a few extra minutes. Thinking she "might" cough for 10 hours is kind of a crappy reason to kick her off the flight. I agree the nyquil would have knocked her out for a good portion of the flight and if she woke up and started coughing again she could take some more.

She deserves an apology and hopefully the airline will make it right with her, her family and those traveling with her who were inconvenienced by this obviously poor decision.

Absolutely agree with these comments.

 

[Maleficent13]

I'm with hydster. Great post.

 

[Deb in IA]

I wonder if the young lady was maybe feeling some stress about her situation?

Yes, I think so. We first validated her feelings (Yes, sometimes life stinks when you have to do things you don't want to do . . .), then we got her to talk about other topics (What grade are you in? What subjects do you like? What hobbies and interests do you have?), and we even got her to smile and laugh a bit when we joked a bit with her.

She really just needed someone to be with her and to talk to her.

 

[iloveboardwalk]

From the article:

"I thought it was a little extreme, but I feel like the airlines are under so much scrutiny right now and people are being treated differently," she said. "I understand their concerns with passenger safety. I want them to have that authority, so it's a double-edged sword."

The Collier family met the other students at the airport Tuesday evening to gather their daughter's luggage and spoke with the pilot who'd had their daughter removed.

"The pilot said he's had a lot of situations where he didn't take action and regretted it later," said Collier. "There was a mistake made, but they're owning up to it and going above and beyond."

Sounds to me that the parents are being very reasonable and that they understand the pressure the pilot was under. I doubt that they are calling him any names like "idiot" or "butthead"

 

[4cruisin]

The pilot was wrong. To all of you saying the guy who IS a doctor and listened to her should be ignored because he didn't know her.....WHY? If you go to the ER or you go to an after hours clinic........same thing. THEY don't know you either so if you see someone besides your primary care physician and he/she gives you a diagnosis you just disregard it because they don't know you personally? That is seriously odd!

I am pretty sure they all go to Med school and learn the basics like.....oh I don't know...how to listen if her lungs were clear and stuff. Why is he not qualified to say she doesn't have anything seriously wrong with her and the pilot not believe him??

Also no one knows if she would have coughed the entire flight or just a few extra minutes. Thinking she "might" cough for 10 hours is kind of a crappy reason to kick her off the flight. I agree the nyquil would have knocked her out for a good portion of the flight and if she woke up and started coughing again she could take some more.

She deserves an apology and hopefully the airline will make it right with her, her family and those traveling with her who were inconvenienced by this obviously poor decision.

A doctor will take a quick med history in an er. Did the 16 y.o. give a medical history? If an er dr has any question about a correct diagnosis, they have other test options at their disposal such as blood work, xrays etc to confirm their diagnosis.

If they knocked her out with Nyquil, would the parent's have demanded an apology and compensation for the "drugging" of their daughter? Did anyone check to see if she had allergies or other medical problems that would have had an adverse reaction to the Nyquil? If she had been allowed to fly and they knocked her out with drugs and then it was something more severe and she got sicker, what would be the pilot and airline's responsiblity to the family then...


There are just way too many what if's in this situation and I really agree with the pilot's decision to delay her travel.

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

A doctor will take a quick med history in an er. Did the 16 y.o. give a medical history? If an er dr has any question about a correct diagnosis, they have other test options at their disposal such as blood work, xrays etc to confirm their diagnosis.

My five year old can give you her list of meds and a brief medical history including when she was diagnosed with asthma. So to think a 16 year old gave medical history isn't that hard to buy.

What other tests would a coughing fit require? Maybe a pulse ox reading and then listening to her. If it was just a cold and cough a chest xray and blood work is not usually needed.

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes, sometimes pilots should do err on the side of caution when dealing with illnesses, but this doesn't look like one of those times to me.

Has anyone seen evidence that one of the teachers remained behind with her? SOP is that anyone put off a plane cannot be re-routed for 24 hours, so she would have had to spend the night somewhere. A minor cannot get a hotel room alone in this country; what did she have to do, sleep on an airport chair?

The best way to handle it would be to put the affected passenger in a back-row seat where she would disturb the fewest passengers and be close to the head if needed. IMO, a 16 yo is old enough to be able to judge whether or not she could take nyquil safely, and anyway, you can't tell me that no one had a cell phone that could have been used to call her parents and ask.

 

[kaytieeldr]

But the issue wasn't whether her coughing would annoy some passengers. Instead, it was the potential that, despite the doctor's suggestion, she could have developed a serious medical problem at a point where the plane simply could not land.

The pilot is responsible for the plane and ALL its passengers.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

I hate to say it but I agree with the pilot. There are a couple of reasons why.

It is not that the kid had a cold with intermittent oughing. She was coughing nonstop. That is alot more serious. For my kids that can turn downhill very fast and they need nebulizer treatments if it is that bad. If this child did have an asthmas attack over the ocean or even in the air what could they do for her? Nothing.

Everyone keeps mentioning this doctor. How do you even know he was a doctor? Because he said he was one? He could be a holistic doctor, a podiatrist, or just some guy who is thinking of becoming one. I would not want someone medicating my child that I do not even know their credentials. This is a teen we are talking about not an adult.

That all being said, I would not want to be on a plane with anyone who is coughing nonstop for 10 hours or even 2 hours. You may say you are not contagious but how do I know that? Obviously this kid was really sick so that's a moot point here but let's be honest, this isn't just a coughing fit, this is nonstop. I would have concerns for my family as well.

I only hope that a chaperone stayed with the girl and she wasn't left on her own in NY.

 

[ducklite]

Yes, sometimes pilots should do err on the side of caution when dealing with illnesses, but this doesn't look like one of those times to me.

Has anyone seen evidence that one of the teachers remained behind with her? SOP is that anyone put off a plane cannot be re-routed for 24 hours, so she would have had to spend the night somewhere. A minor cannot get a hotel room alone in this country; what did she have to do, sleep on an airport chair?

The best way to handle it would be to put the affected passenger in a back-row seat where she would disturb the fewest passengers and be close to the head if needed. IMO, a 16 yo is old enough to be able to judge whether or not she could take nyquil safely, and anyway, you can't tell me that no one had a cell phone that could have been used to call her parents and ask.

The article I read yesterday said that one of the teachers stayed behind with her. They had to buy toothbrushes and clothing as their luggage was already on the plane and the carrier wouldn't take it off for them. They also had to pay for a hotel room and meals out of pocket.

Anne

 

[Fitswimmer]

I'm with the Pilot-if it were a flight over land where he could have made an emergency landing if he had to, that would be different. What if the exam was wrong and this poor child had MAJOR breathing problems somewhere over the ocean? How would we be viewing this pilot if this child had died on the way and he KNEW that she was having problems before take-off? Would he get a pass because an on-board MD listened to her lungs and pronounced her fine?

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Sorry but just because its an incovenience to you doenst mean its against the law or policy to not be sick on an airline, if not most people would be banned. I had the unfortunate pleasure of getting sick 4 days before flying to europe late last year. For me, it doenst matter what i get, even if im not sick, but with allergies and all, coughing is my biggest sympton. I may be fine otherwise(not runny nose or fever or anything esle) and not really contagious. If I had been told that I couldnt fly cuz I would be coughin for 8 hours next to someone, I would have been pissed and prob arrested at the words that woul dhave come out of my mouth. Nobody knows me like I know me. To tell me that its dangerous to fly cuz I was coughing or even this girl is ridiculous. I myself would be totally grossed out sitting next to someone sneezing or coughing on a plane but I understand that you cant control that stuff and when it happens (ie bding sick) I would just take plenty of vitamins with me for that.

I bolded these two parts because what does "not really contagious" mean? Is that like sort of pregnant? You are or you aren't.
You also stated that you wouldn't want to sit next to some oozing person. Sure we know stuff like that happens but sometimes you have to be realistic. We have changed flights when our kids were really sick until they were able to fly. Things happen sometimes and you have to make adjustments. It goes both ways.