Wuhan Doctor Saves Passenger with CPR on United Airlines Flight UA889

“Ladies and gentlemen, a passenger on board is experiencing a medical emergency. If there are any medical professionals on the aircraft, please contact a member of the cabin crew immediately.”

On October 17, an emergency announcement broke the calm aboard United Airlines Flight UA889. A Chinese-American woman in her 40s had suddenly collapsed and gone into shock.

Hearing the announcement, Professor Hu Dan, director of the Coronary Heart Disease Unit at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, rushed to help. She did not even have time to put on her shoes.

After identifying herself to the flight attendants, she dropped to her knees beside a narrow space near the meal cart and immediately began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

A few minutes later, the passenger regained consciousness, but remained weak. Hu comforted her in Chinese while communicating with the flight crew in English, simultaneously relaying the patient’s vital signs to a ground-based emergency medical team.

Concerned that the woman might have hit her head when she fell, Hu repeatedly checked her for signs of a head injury. She used a cold towel to treat a bruise on the passenger’s jaw. When she found that the woman’s body temperature had dropped to just 36°C, she improvised a warming pack using whatever materials were available on board.

There was no ready-made electrolyte solution on the plane, either. So Hu used sugar and salt packets from the airline’s meal service to prepare warm water, giving the passenger small amounts at a time to help replenish fluids and electrolytes.

Thanks to Hu’s careful treatment and constant attention, the passenger gradually warmed up and became increasingly alert. Only after the woman had been safely moved to a seat at the back of the aircraft did Hu realize that she had spent the entire time barefoot.

After the plane landed, the passenger was successfully handed over to medical personnel on the ground. United Airlines also extended special thanks to Professor Hu for her assistance.

Screenshot source: Official website of Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University

This was far from the first time Hu had stepped in to save someone’s life while travelling. She had previously provided emergency medical assistance on flights and high-speed trains on four separate occasions.

“At that moment, I wasn’t thinking about anything else. I just wanted to save her life,” Hu said with a smile.

For Professor Hu, saving someone who has collapsed is simply part of being a doctor. But helping people stay healthy and preventing them from falling ill is a commitment she is determined to uphold throughout her life.