Narrative:

While in cruise flight, a flight attendant advised us that another flight attendant was opening a bottle of wine when it broke and seriously cut her hand. I transferred flying responsibility to the first officer and stepped back to assess the situation. We stabilized the flight attendant with the lacerated hand by having her lay down with the wound up, paged for an md/emt among our 90 passenger and opened up the emergency medical kit, first aid kits and oxygen bottle. With the flight attendant stable and an emt in attendance, we determined the best course of action was to continue to anc at best forward speed. We contacted dispatch to advise them of the situation and requested emt's meet the aircraft on arrival anc. We had the passenger remain seated until the emt's removed the injured from the aircraft. Some observations: ATC was great: they gave us some priority when we said we had an injury aboard and we wanted to proceed at best forward speed. Because traffic was light we experienced no delay and every successive controller was very helpful. Not sure about emt's aboard who state they are qualified. They seemed skilled and knowledgeable -- didn't consider asking them for identify or certification as they were just comforting the injured party. Nice if all emt's carry a nationally recognized identify (they may already). Descended from 35000 ft to begin lowering cabin for the comfort of the injured person as they had an oxygen mask on her and I believed that a sea level cabin would help. Coordinated with zan for the lower altitude and they gave us their lowest of 16000 ft then 10000 ft. I mistakenly believed I needed that low, but I in fact only needed 19000 ft. I had misread the cabin altitude sticker (unlighted) on the overhead panel with a 2 cell flashlight, which the first officer was holding. If I had just used my flashlight instead and took the time to double-check the sticker I would've caught the error. The first officer correctly questioned why I wanted to go below 19000 ft and we finally agreed to go ahead and descend to 10000 ft on this clear, calm, cloudless, moonlit night. On landing, the injured flight attendant and an emt may have not been strapped in, but were stabilized and safe against a bulkhead.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT ATTENDANT WAS BADLY CUT INFLT.

Narrative: WHILE IN CRUISE FLT, A FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED US THAT ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT WAS OPENING A BOTTLE OF WINE WHEN IT BROKE AND SERIOUSLY CUT HER HAND. I TRANSFERRED FLYING RESPONSIBILITY TO THE FO AND STEPPED BACK TO ASSESS THE SIT. WE STABILIZED THE FLT ATTENDANT WITH THE LACERATED HAND BY HAVING HER LAY DOWN WITH THE WOUND UP, PAGED FOR AN MD/EMT AMONG OUR 90 PAX AND OPENED UP THE EMER MEDICAL KIT, FIRST AID KITS AND OXYGEN BOTTLE. WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT STABLE AND AN EMT IN ATTENDANCE, WE DETERMINED THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION WAS TO CONTINUE TO ANC AT BEST FORWARD SPD. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH TO ADVISE THEM OF THE SIT AND REQUESTED EMT'S MEET THE ACFT ON ARR ANC. WE HAD THE PAX REMAIN SEATED UNTIL THE EMT'S REMOVED THE INJURED FROM THE ACFT. SOME OBSERVATIONS: ATC WAS GREAT: THEY GAVE US SOME PRIORITY WHEN WE SAID WE HAD AN INJURY ABOARD AND WE WANTED TO PROCEED AT BEST FORWARD SPD. BECAUSE TFC WAS LIGHT WE EXPERIENCED NO DELAY AND EVERY SUCCESSIVE CTLR WAS VERY HELPFUL. NOT SURE ABOUT EMT'S ABOARD WHO STATE THEY ARE QUALIFIED. THEY SEEMED SKILLED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE -- DIDN'T CONSIDER ASKING THEM FOR IDENT OR CERTIFICATION AS THEY WERE JUST COMFORTING THE INJURED PARTY. NICE IF ALL EMT'S CARRY A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED IDENT (THEY MAY ALREADY). DSNDED FROM 35000 FT TO BEGIN LOWERING CABIN FOR THE COMFORT OF THE INJURED PERSON AS THEY HAD AN OXYGEN MASK ON HER AND I BELIEVED THAT A SEA LEVEL CABIN WOULD HELP. COORDINATED WITH ZAN FOR THE LOWER ALT AND THEY GAVE US THEIR LOWEST OF 16000 FT THEN 10000 FT. I MISTAKENLY BELIEVED I NEEDED THAT LOW, BUT I IN FACT ONLY NEEDED 19000 FT. I HAD MISREAD THE CABIN ALT STICKER (UNLIGHTED) ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL WITH A 2 CELL FLASHLIGHT, WHICH THE FO WAS HOLDING. IF I HAD JUST USED MY FLASHLIGHT INSTEAD AND TOOK THE TIME TO DOUBLE-CHK THE STICKER I WOULD'VE CAUGHT THE ERROR. THE FO CORRECTLY QUESTIONED WHY I WANTED TO GO BELOW 19000 FT AND WE FINALLY AGREED TO GO AHEAD AND DSND TO 10000 FT ON THIS CLR, CALM, CLOUDLESS, MOONLIT NIGHT. ON LNDG, THE INJURED FLT ATTENDANT AND AN EMT MAY HAVE NOT BEEN STRAPPED IN, BUT WERE STABILIZED AND SAFE AGAINST A BULKHEAD.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.