Narrative:

#9 flight attendant at 1L door greeted mrs X and her daughter with 'hi, how are you today?' mrs X replied 'I'm fine, but my daughter is very sick and has a fever.' #9 flight attendant notified me and I spoke with captain. He told me customer service would have final say on the transportability of passenger. I asked fra ground staff to check the situation out (after almost 27 yrs as a flight attendant I knew that no matter what I felt was the situation I would be overruled). An agent went back to speak with mrs X and another called customer service. The agent informed me that the child did 'not have a fever and was fine to fly. He did not see any reason to remove passenger.' doors were shut and we pushed back. I observed the child as I walked aft, she was flushed and lifeless. After takeoff mr X moved to seat xxy and xxz so mrs X and child could have seat xxz, xxb, and xxc. Coach flight attendants gave her cool washcloth to put on baby's forehead (child was 3 yrs old), but flight attendants thought her condition to be worsening. I went to cockpit and captain called dispatch who patched us to staff doctor. He advised children's tylenol and removing the child's clothes. I went back to speak to mrs X who stated that child's temperature was 39.6 degrees C. She'd had this fever for 5 days. Doctor had prescribed antibiotics but child vomited them. The family was going on vacation to visit his family and he felt that they shouldn't interrupt their plans but press on to their destination! She had given child a suppository to help with the flight. She didn't eat and I only observed her taking a sip or so of water. I told captain in good conscience I couldn't sign the general declaration as being clear of any ill passenger and asked for paramedics to meet aircraft. (I paged for medical assistance during flight but no response.) paramedics diagnosed an adenoid infection. Said the parents agreed to take the child to hospital for treatment. They stated that the child could suffer life- long damage from a fever of that duration and if the infection became systemic due to antibiotic intolerance. Our cockpit crew manuals clearly state that anyone with a fever over 100 degrees F (child's was nearly 104 degrees F) shouldn't fly so why did agent in fra lie to me and tell me she didn't have a fever? Why did customer service approve her transport -- did agent lie to them also?

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING A SICK CHILD ALLOWED ABOARD AN OCEANIC FLT. MEDICAL PERSONNEL MET THE ACFT ON LNDG.

Narrative: #9 FLT ATTENDANT AT 1L DOOR GREETED MRS X AND HER DAUGHTER WITH 'HI, HOW ARE YOU TODAY?' MRS X REPLIED 'I'M FINE, BUT MY DAUGHTER IS VERY SICK AND HAS A FEVER.' #9 FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME AND I SPOKE WITH CAPT. HE TOLD ME CUSTOMER SVC WOULD HAVE FINAL SAY ON THE TRANSPORTABILITY OF PAX. I ASKED FRA GND STAFF TO CHK THE SIT OUT (AFTER ALMOST 27 YRS AS A FLT ATTENDANT I KNEW THAT NO MATTER WHAT I FELT WAS THE SIT I WOULD BE OVERRULED). AN AGENT WENT BACK TO SPEAK WITH MRS X AND ANOTHER CALLED CUSTOMER SVC. THE AGENT INFORMED ME THAT THE CHILD DID 'NOT HAVE A FEVER AND WAS FINE TO FLY. HE DID NOT SEE ANY REASON TO REMOVE PAX.' DOORS WERE SHUT AND WE PUSHED BACK. I OBSERVED THE CHILD AS I WALKED AFT, SHE WAS FLUSHED AND LIFELESS. AFTER TKOF MR X MOVED TO SEAT XXY AND XXZ SO MRS X AND CHILD COULD HAVE SEAT XXZ, XXB, AND XXC. COACH FLT ATTENDANTS GAVE HER COOL WASHCLOTH TO PUT ON BABY'S FOREHEAD (CHILD WAS 3 YRS OLD), BUT FLT ATTENDANTS THOUGHT HER CONDITION TO BE WORSENING. I WENT TO COCKPIT AND CAPT CALLED DISPATCH WHO PATCHED US TO STAFF DOCTOR. HE ADVISED CHILDREN'S TYLENOL AND REMOVING THE CHILD'S CLOTHES. I WENT BACK TO SPEAK TO MRS X WHO STATED THAT CHILD'S TEMP WAS 39.6 DEGS C. SHE'D HAD THIS FEVER FOR 5 DAYS. DOCTOR HAD PRESCRIBED ANTIBIOTICS BUT CHILD VOMITED THEM. THE FAMILY WAS GOING ON VACATION TO VISIT HIS FAMILY AND HE FELT THAT THEY SHOULDN'T INTERRUPT THEIR PLANS BUT PRESS ON TO THEIR DEST! SHE HAD GIVEN CHILD A SUPPOSITORY TO HELP WITH THE FLT. SHE DIDN'T EAT AND I ONLY OBSERVED HER TAKING A SIP OR SO OF WATER. I TOLD CAPT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE I COULDN'T SIGN THE GENERAL DECLARATION AS BEING CLR OF ANY ILL PAX AND ASKED FOR PARAMEDICS TO MEET ACFT. (I PAGED FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE DURING FLT BUT NO RESPONSE.) PARAMEDICS DIAGNOSED AN ADENOID INFECTION. SAID THE PARENTS AGREED TO TAKE THE CHILD TO HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. THEY STATED THAT THE CHILD COULD SUFFER LIFE- LONG DAMAGE FROM A FEVER OF THAT DURATION AND IF THE INFECTION BECAME SYSTEMIC DUE TO ANTIBIOTIC INTOLERANCE. OUR COCKPIT CREW MANUALS CLRLY STATE THAT ANYONE WITH A FEVER OVER 100 DEGS F (CHILD'S WAS NEARLY 104 DEGS F) SHOULDN'T FLY SO WHY DID AGENT IN FRA LIE TO ME AND TELL ME SHE DIDN'T HAVE A FEVER? WHY DID CUSTOMER SVC APPROVE HER TRANSPORT -- DID AGENT LIE TO THEM ALSO?

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.