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Flight attendant report regarding a passenger who had asthma and went into cardiac arrest. Flight diverted and paramedics met the aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 413602 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199809 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | atc facility : zhu |
| State Reference | TX |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zhu |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | DC-10 Undifferentiated or Other Model |
| Flight Phase | cruise other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight attendant : on duty |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 413602 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | Other |
| Function | observation : passenger |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : declared emergency none taken : unable other |
| Consequence | Other |
Narrative:
Midway through flight from sju-dfw, I noticed a passenger wearing a 'surgical' mask. Since it's allergy season, I assumed the man put the mask on in-flight to filter the air. Approximately 1 hour before landing, I noticed he was speaking to the purser. Apparently, he was asthmatic and was having trouble with his inhaler. The flight attendant assisting him ran to his seat, retrieved his baggage, and took him the machine 'nebulizer' he was requesting. His nebulizer didn't have a battery and we had no place to plug in the machine. From my understanding, the machine gives him breathing treatments. Since we were unable to use the machine, the passenger panicked and went into full cardiac arrest. He was not breathing and had no pulse. We were assisted by 2 nurses. One nurse gave the compressions and I administered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation via a pocket mask. We got his heart beating and he began to breath. We put him on oxygen. After a few mins, we lost him again and continued mouth-to-mouth resuscitation/CCC. We declared a medical emergency, quickly landed, and paramedics met the flight. Passenger expired the next day in the hospital.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING A PAX WHO HAD ASTHMA AND WENT INTO CARDIAC ARREST. FLT DIVERTED AND PARAMEDICS MET THE ACFT.
Narrative: MIDWAY THROUGH FLT FROM SJU-DFW, I NOTICED A PAX WEARING A 'SURGICAL' MASK. SINCE IT'S ALLERGY SEASON, I ASSUMED THE MAN PUT THE MASK ON INFLT TO FILTER THE AIR. APPROX 1 HR BEFORE LNDG, I NOTICED HE WAS SPEAKING TO THE PURSER. APPARENTLY, HE WAS ASTHMATIC AND WAS HAVING TROUBLE WITH HIS INHALER. THE FLT ATTENDANT ASSISTING HIM RAN TO HIS SEAT, RETRIEVED HIS BAGGAGE, AND TOOK HIM THE MACHINE 'NEBULIZER' HE WAS REQUESTING. HIS NEBULIZER DIDN'T HAVE A BATTERY AND WE HAD NO PLACE TO PLUG IN THE MACHINE. FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE MACHINE GIVES HIM BREATHING TREATMENTS. SINCE WE WERE UNABLE TO USE THE MACHINE, THE PAX PANICKED AND WENT INTO FULL CARDIAC ARREST. HE WAS NOT BREATHING AND HAD NO PULSE. WE WERE ASSISTED BY 2 NURSES. ONE NURSE GAVE THE COMPRESSIONS AND I ADMINISTERED MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESUSCITATION VIA A POCKET MASK. WE GOT HIS HEART BEATING AND HE BEGAN TO BREATH. WE PUT HIM ON OXYGEN. AFTER A FEW MINS, WE LOST HIM AGAIN AND CONTINUED MOUTH-TO-MOUTH RESUSCITATION/CCC. WE DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER, QUICKLY LANDED, AND PARAMEDICS MET THE FLT. PAX EXPIRED THE NEXT DAY IN THE HOSPITAL.
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.