Narrative:

At pushback, passenger in forward cabin rang call button repeatedly. #2 flight attendant answered call. Rang passenger call button 4 times. #2 flight attendant directed #3 flight attendant to retrieve kits. PA was made for a physician. I brought up oxygen bottle from aft cabin and position myself at passenger's head on aisle floor. (Physician and assistants had already moved passenger out of seat to aisle floor and had begun cpr.) #1 flight attendant passed mask to me through other passenger. I took over respirations at that point. There was difficulty in determining aspiration due to tongue movement caused by continuous compressions. Pulse was constantly monitored at wrist and at ankle by assistants. Paramedics showed up in approximately 6 mins, and took over. I stayed with passenger's wife, who told me that the passenger had a history of arrhythmia though he was not on medication and testing had not found anything in the past. She disclosed that she was a nurse, and 'should've known' (though she was in shock). They did have a long walk from their last gate to this flight. (I had helped them with their luggage, since they were the last to board just before door closing.) I stayed and tried to be of comfort to passenger's wife, leaving only briefly to disarm tailcone/door exit and aft galley door. Paramedics removed passenger via aisle chair while continuing resuscitation. I retrieved carry- ONS and followed them off of aircraft to jet bridge, turning over baggage to gate agent. Follow up phone calls to hospital in chicago indicated ill passenger was still in icu. Heart attack caused by blockage of arteries.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT PUSHBACK ONBOARD MD80, PAX BECAME ILL AND PIC RETURNED TO GATE FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

Narrative: AT PUSHBACK, PAX IN FORWARD CABIN RANG CALL BUTTON REPEATEDLY. #2 FLT ATTENDANT ANSWERED CALL. RANG PAX CALL BUTTON 4 TIMES. #2 FLT ATTENDANT DIRECTED #3 FLT ATTENDANT TO RETRIEVE KITS. PA WAS MADE FOR A PHYSICIAN. I BROUGHT UP OXYGEN BOTTLE FROM AFT CABIN AND POS MYSELF AT PAX'S HEAD ON AISLE FLOOR. (PHYSICIAN AND ASSISTANTS HAD ALREADY MOVED PAX OUT OF SEAT TO AISLE FLOOR AND HAD BEGUN CPR.) #1 FLT ATTENDANT PASSED MASK TO ME THROUGH OTHER PAX. I TOOK OVER RESPIRATIONS AT THAT POINT. THERE WAS DIFFICULTY IN DETERMINING ASPIRATION DUE TO TONGUE MOVEMENT CAUSED BY CONTINUOUS COMPRESSIONS. PULSE WAS CONSTANTLY MONITORED AT WRIST AND AT ANKLE BY ASSISTANTS. PARAMEDICS SHOWED UP IN APPROX 6 MINS, AND TOOK OVER. I STAYED WITH PAX'S WIFE, WHO TOLD ME THAT THE PAX HAD A HISTORY OF ARRHYTHMIA THOUGH HE WAS NOT ON MEDICATION AND TESTING HAD NOT FOUND ANYTHING IN THE PAST. SHE DISCLOSED THAT SHE WAS A NURSE, AND 'SHOULD'VE KNOWN' (THOUGH SHE WAS IN SHOCK). THEY DID HAVE A LONG WALK FROM THEIR LAST GATE TO THIS FLT. (I HAD HELPED THEM WITH THEIR LUGGAGE, SINCE THEY WERE THE LAST TO BOARD JUST BEFORE DOOR CLOSING.) I STAYED AND TRIED TO BE OF COMFORT TO PAX'S WIFE, LEAVING ONLY BRIEFLY TO DISARM TAILCONE/DOOR EXIT AND AFT GALLEY DOOR. PARAMEDICS REMOVED PAX VIA AISLE CHAIR WHILE CONTINUING RESUSCITATION. I RETRIEVED CARRY- ONS AND FOLLOWED THEM OFF OF ACFT TO JET BRIDGE, TURNING OVER BAGGAGE TO GATE AGENT. FOLLOW UP PHONE CALLS TO HOSPITAL IN CHICAGO INDICATED ILL PAX WAS STILL IN ICU. HEART ATTACK CAUSED BY BLOCKAGE OF ARTERIES.

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.