Narrative:

Passenger was found to be having difficulty with breathing, pupils were dilated. Md or nurse was paged. At one point, flight attendant #4 stated she could not get pulse. Captain was informed of situation. Md stated passenger was hyperventilating. Rn stayed with passenger to calm her down. Boyfriend stated passenger does have history of anxiety. Air sickness bag was given to passenger due to hyperventilation. The decision was made by medical team medical to return to sfo. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that when she went up to tell the captain that the woman wasn't breathing, she wasn't aware that a doctor and nurse had responded to the flight attendant's page, and were assisting with the woman. All the captain knew at the time he talked to their airline's medical department, was that the woman had no pulse. When the reporter came back to the woman, a doctor had come and gone back to his seat, and had said 'oh, she's just hyperventilating.' the nurse stayed with the passenger until landing. The captain decided that he didn't have time to dump fuel, so they landed 'heavy,' and they had to take a delay to wait for the FAA inspection of the plane. The paramedics met the flight, but the woman was arguing with them, that she didn't want to go to the hospital, and the reporter doesn't know the outcome.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, MD80, SFO-ORD, ILL PAX. CAPT RETURNED TO SFO FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. LANDED OVERWT, FAA INSPECTION.

Narrative: PAX WAS FOUND TO BE HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH BREATHING, PUPILS WERE DILATED. MD OR NURSE WAS PAGED. AT ONE POINT, FLT ATTENDANT #4 STATED SHE COULD NOT GET PULSE. CAPT WAS INFORMED OF SIT. MD STATED PAX WAS HYPERVENTILATING. RN STAYED WITH PAX TO CALM HER DOWN. BOYFRIEND STATED PAX DOES HAVE HISTORY OF ANXIETY. AIR SICKNESS BAG WAS GIVEN TO PAX DUE TO HYPERVENTILATION. THE DECISION WAS MADE BY MEDICAL TEAM MEDICAL TO RETURN TO SFO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT WHEN SHE WENT UP TO TELL THE CAPT THAT THE WOMAN WASN'T BREATHING, SHE WASN'T AWARE THAT A DOCTOR AND NURSE HAD RESPONDED TO THE FLT ATTENDANT'S PAGE, AND WERE ASSISTING WITH THE WOMAN. ALL THE CAPT KNEW AT THE TIME HE TALKED TO THEIR AIRLINE'S MEDICAL DEPT, WAS THAT THE WOMAN HAD NO PULSE. WHEN THE RPTR CAME BACK TO THE WOMAN, A DOCTOR HAD COME AND GONE BACK TO HIS SEAT, AND HAD SAID 'OH, SHE'S JUST HYPERVENTILATING.' THE NURSE STAYED WITH THE PAX UNTIL LNDG. THE CAPT DECIDED THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DUMP FUEL, SO THEY LANDED 'HVY,' AND THEY HAD TO TAKE A DELAY TO WAIT FOR THE FAA INSPECTION OF THE PLANE. THE PARAMEDICS MET THE FLT, BUT THE WOMAN WAS ARGUING WITH THEM, THAT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, AND THE RPTR DOESN'T KNOW THE OUTCOME.

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.