E-Paper
Doctor uses Apple Watch to save woman’s life while on a flight. Here’s how
A woman faced shortness of breath while on an Italy-bound flight. That is when a doctor used an Apple Watch to help the woman recover.
A doctor used an Apple Watch to save the life of a passenger on an Italy-bound flight. As per reports, the doctor used a particular feature of the Smartwatch to identify the health issue faced by the woman.
The woman was reportedly facing shortness of breath which left the crew in search of a medical professional onboard, reports the BBC. Doctor Rashid Riaz, responded and after the initial check-up, he wanted to check the patient’s oxygen saturation level but was unable to do so using the equipment on the flight. That is when he asked for an Apple Watch. "The Apple Watch helped me find out the patient had low oxygen saturation,” the medic told the outlet.
Also Read: Apple Watch feature saves US student’s life after exposure to deadly gas. Here’s how
How did the doctor use the Apple Watch?
Dr Riaz used the Blood Oxygen app of the watch to determine the woman’s oxygen saturation level. He then used an on-board oxygen cylinder to treat her. Throughout the rest of the journey, the doctor used the Smartwatch to monitor the oxygen saturation level of the woman. Dr Riaz told the BBC that the woman ‘recovered quickly’ and she was handed over to the medical staff after landing.
"I used a lot of my own learning during this flight on how to use the gadget," Dr Riaz told the outlet. "It is a lesson in how we can improve in-flight journeys [with] this sort of emergency [via] a basic gadget which nowadays is easily available,” he added.
According to the Apple website, ‘Measurements taken with the Blood Oxygen app are not intended for medical use and are only designed for general fitness and wellness purposes’.
The Blood Oxygen app used by the doctor is presently discontinued. Apple is engaged in a patent dispute over this Blood Oxygen app with a medical technology company. The iPhone maker revealed that the new release of Series 9 and Ultra 2 Apple Watches will not include this feature.
