To quote the wonderful Anton Meyer from a very early Holby episode - I
suggest Michael returns any grateful free tickets etc the airline offers,
and sends them a note of his usual fee.
-----Original Message-----
From: GP-UK [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Martin Goldman
Sent: 23 April 2004 17:14
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Feydeau flies again
I always carry my mdu card with me if travelling.
I live in the vague hope that it might get me an upgrade: did they recognise
your expert skill, or only those of the validated osteopath and patient with
the correct treatment?
Dr Martin Goldman
Senior Medical Advisor, Forest Laboratories, Europe.
www.forestlabs.com
tel 01322 429355
fax 01322 555469
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Leuty [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Friday, April 23, 2004 4:37 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Feydeau flies again
Just half an hour into last night's Air Bourbon flight from Réunion to
Paris, the "is there a doctor on the plane" message came over the PA
system, in French then in passable English. Being in double jeopardy
from our own dear GMC and the French law of "non-assistance to persons
in danger" I reluctantly confessed my profession to a stewardess.
The clinical problem was quite straightforward. A passenger had come out
in an acute itchy urticarial rash with no respiratory distress or signs
of angioneurotic oedema. What he needed, Watson, was an antihistamine.
There were two medical boxes on the plane. A basic first aid kit had
some basic drugs (e.g. paracetamol) but no antihistamine. There was also
a doctor's box with a wider range of drugs, but this could only be
opened by a doctor or paramedic with his "professional card". I hadn't
thought to take my GMC certificate on holiday with me, and I don't have
any other "professional card". At this point a nurse arrived. Her
professional card would serve to open the box, but she hadn't got the
correct one. Finally an osteopath arrived who did have his professional
card with him, so the box could be opened. Unfortunately there was no
antihistamine in the doctor's box either.
Georges Feydeau would have been proud. :-)
With a quick piece of lateral thinking another call was put out asking
if anyone on board had an antihistamine, and a woman sitting just one
row away from us offered a box of cetirizine. Fraternité at its best.
Rest of journey uneventful, except for the nagging worry that I was the
only doctor on the plane.
How long before we too have to carry "professional cards", do you think?
--
Michael Leuty <[log in to unmask]>
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