[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 3 (Thursday, January 29, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S226-S227]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FRIST (for himself and Mr. Dorgan):
  S. 1584. A bill to direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation 
Administration to reevaluate the equipment in medical kits carried on, 
and to make a decision regarding requiring automatic external 
defibrillators to be carried on, aircraft operated by air carriers, and 
for other purposes; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation.


              THE AVIATION MEDICAL ASSISTANCE ACT OF 1998

  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President--I rise today, along with my colleague 
Senator Dorgan from North Dakota, to introduce the Aviation Medical 
Assistance Act of 1998.

  Thirty years ago the first battery powered portable defibrillator was 
approved for use. A defibrillator is a medical device that electrically 
converts an abnormal heart rhythm to a normal rhythm. It can and does 
save lives. The time between the onset of abnormal rhythm and the 
application of electrical defibrillatory current is critical. If the 
time of first defibrillation is between five and six minutes after the 
onset of abnormal rhythm, the patient survival rate is greater than 40 
percent.
  One clear example is that of Graeme Seiber of Tennessee. As my 
colleagues may recall on September 14, 1995, Mr. Seiber went into full 
cardiac arrest as he stepped off an elevator in the Dirksen building, 
and collapsed in the corridor near my Senate office.
  After heroic actions by members of Senator Chafee's staff, I 
performed CPR on Mr. Seiber and when the Capitol Physician's Emergency 
Response

[[Page S227]]

Team arrived, I was able to insert a tube directly into Mr. Seiber's 
lungs to aid the flow of oxygen. But, most importantly, the team had a 
portable defibrillator that I used to shock his heart back into a 
normal rhythm. A team of emergency medical technicians arrived shortly 
thereafter, and Mr. Seiber was taken to George Washington University 
Hospital by ambulance.
  Because of the quick action of those involved and the use of a 
portable defibrillator, Graeme Seiber is alive today as one of a very 
small percentage of patients who actually survive sudden cardiac 
arrest.
  But that was in the United States Senate, which has a competent 
medical team that responds quickly with the proper medical equipment, 
like a defibrillator. What would have happened to Mr. Seiber if he 
suffered cardiac arrest in a setting in which medical care and a 
defibrillator was not readily available.
  This past May, my friend, colleague and fellow Tennessean, 
Representative Jimmy Duncan held a hearing before the House 
Subcommittee on Aviation, which he chairs, on the quality of medical 
kits used by the airlines. On November 6, 1997 Representative Duncan 
introduced the Aviation Medical Assistance Act to address concerns that 
arose from the hearing.
  The Aviation Medical Assistance Act of 1997 directs the Administrator 
of the Federal Aviation Administration to reevaluate regulations 
regarding the medical equipment and flight attendant training for 
commercial airlines.
  To address the lack of information regarding fatalities on aircraft, 
the airlines would be required to make an effort to report monthly to 
the Administrator of the FAA over the course of a year regarding deaths 
on aircrafts.
  The bill also addresses the critical issue of liability arising from 
individuals assisting in an in-flight medical emergency. The bill 
declares that the individual rendering aid shall not be liable when 
attempting to provide medical assistance, except in the case of gross 
negligence or willful misconduct.
  Finally, the bill requires the FAA Administrator to decide whether or 
not to require automatic external defibrillators on aircraft and in 
airports. To their credit, two major airlines, Delta Airlines and 
American Airlines have already initiated a plan to equip their entire 
fleet with defibrillators and upgrade their medical equipment.
  It is critical that individuals who suffer cardiac arrest or other 
medical emergencies receive quick and proper attention to increase 
their odds of survival. It is my hope that this legislation will 
improve emergency medical care for all in-flight emergencies. I would 
like to thank Congressman Duncan for his leadership in the House of 
Representatives on this important issue. I am also grateful to Senator 
Dorgan for partnering with me on this potentially lifesaving 
legislation. I am proud to introduce the companion legislation in the 
Senate.
                                 ______