Put appropriate words in the gaps.

life-saving  medical  aid  minimal  series  sick  non-doctor

First Aid is the immediate and temporary proper (1) ____provided to a (2) _____ or injured person until (3) _____treatment can be provided. It generally consists of (4) _____of simple, (5) _____medical techniques that a (6) _____or lay person can be trained to perform with (7) _____equipment.

Now compare the definition of First Aid given here and in the text above. What is your own one?

Match the words with the definitions.

1. Kit	a) inside your head that controls how you move
2. Unconscious	b) the front of your body between your neck and your stomach
3. Numb	h) swelling of your skin that has liquid in it
4. Instruction	f) you are not able to see, move or feel anything
5. Chest	g) row of bones down the centre of your back that keeps your body upright
6. Blister	i) frozen, without any feeling
7. Brain	l) information that tells you what to do
8. Spine	j) a box which has special things in it which you need

Match the conditions that often require first aid with their translation.

1. Altitude sickness 2. Choking 3. Childbirth 4. Heart attack 5. Hyperthermia 6. Unconsciousness 7. Arrhythmia 8. Wound 9. Toothache 10. Bleeding 11. Poisoning

a) ранение b) гипертермия c) кровотечение d) аритмия e) зубная боль f) отравление g) сердечный приступ h) высотная болезнь i) удушье j) роды k) бессознательное состояние

Describe the picture, using the words from the box and supporting questions.

(http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/)

use anything at hand  stabilize the limb  victim  squat on haunches give prompt first aid  administer CPR  be unconscious

Read the text and answer the questions that follow.

Medical Emergencies

Medical emergencies are one of the main reasons why an aircraft may need to divert if the emergency is serious enough and cannot be treated within the airplane itself. The final decision as to whether a diversion is necessary or not rests with the captain on board. All aircraft have a first aid kit on board and cabin crew receive first aid training. A request may be made for any doctor who happens to be travelling on a flight with a view to a possible intervention.

A recent innovation is the Medlink service (telemedicine centre) where a specialist opinion may be provided at a distance. It is a comprehensive, working 24 hours 7 days a week centre with on-duty emergency physicians who communicate directly with the crew. This model provides immediate guidance and advice to crew during the actual medical crisis. The telemedicine responder should possess enough medical emergency knowledge to consult whether to provide inflight treatment or to divert. Medlink service should also have a comprehensive and worldwide database of medical resources. This database will help crew determine the best location for treatment options and will provide information on landing requirements and support services.

Air traffic controllers are also trained to deal with medical emergences. They provide an essential link with medical services on the ground. Once a decision to divert has been taken, the controller is responsible for making sure that the appropriate medical services are properly informed and standing by, ready for action when the airplane lands.

Some passengers board an airplane with an underlying medical condition which makes flying unadvisable. Airlines will try to screen such passengers and they have the right to stop them at the departure gate and refuse permission to embark. But unless the symptoms are very obvious, passengers at risk will remain undetected until it is too late. Sometimes the passengers by themselves may not be aware of their own condition until the problem occurs. With the increase in leisure travel and particularly long haul travel by elderly passengers, the likelihood of a medical emergency during flight is on the increase.

A further problem in international travel is that cabin crew may be unable to correctly assess the seriousness of a medical condition due to a language barrier. It may be that someone is unable to explain the seriousness of a medical condition. In such circumstances the captain may choose to divert rather than to risk more serious consequences.

1. What is medical emergency?

2. Who takes the final decision whether to divert or not in case of medical emergency on board?

3. What do you know about medical equipment, medical staff and ground services?

4. Do you think pilots and ATCs should receive special training to deal with medical emergencies? Why?

5. What is Medlink service? How does it work?

6. What are ATC’s  responsibilities in case of medical emergency?

7. Name the problems which can lead to medical situations on board. What can be done to prevent them?

8. Do you think language proficiency can influence the consequences of a medical situation? How?