B747 crew had passenger medical emergency which resulted in a diversion to anc.

Attributes
ACN	468917
Time
Date	200003
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : anc.airport
State Reference	AK
Altitude	msl single value : 33000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zan.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Route In Use	enroute : pacific
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 5 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 0
ASRS Report	468917
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

2 hours en route from sea to nrt, the lead flight attendant informed us that we had an elderly lady coughing up blood. A search was made to locate medical personnel. We found a nurse. The nurse attended to the lady while we contacted our dispatch and the company contracted medical clinic. The nurse eventually came up to the cockpit to talk directly to the medical clinic. She was able to relate vital signs and general condition of the patient. Dispatch suggested that the nurse could keep a watch on the patient until nrt (6 hours). The nurse refused as she felt that there was not adequate equipment on board the aircraft to properly determine the patient's condition. Based on the information at hand, the captain decided to divert to anc and get medical attention for this lady. Due to our weight, we coordinated with center and dumped 60000 pounds of fuel as we proceeded to anc. We landed in anc, offloaded the patient and a friend, took on additional fuel and proceeded to nrt.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B747 CREW HAD PAX MEDICAL EMER WHICH RESULTED IN A DIVERSION TO ANC.

Narrative: 2 HRS ENRTE FROM SEA TO NRT, THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT WE HAD AN ELDERLY LADY COUGHING UP BLOOD. A SEARCH WAS MADE TO LOCATE MEDICAL PERSONNEL. WE FOUND A NURSE. THE NURSE ATTENDED TO THE LADY WHILE WE CONTACTED OUR DISPATCH AND THE COMPANY CONTRACTED MEDICAL CLINIC. THE NURSE EVENTUALLY CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT TO TALK DIRECTLY TO THE MEDICAL CLINIC. SHE WAS ABLE TO RELATE VITAL SIGNS AND GENERAL CONDITION OF THE PATIENT. DISPATCH SUGGESTED THAT THE NURSE COULD KEEP A WATCH ON THE PATIENT UNTIL NRT (6 HRS). THE NURSE REFUSED AS SHE FELT THAT THERE WAS NOT ADEQUATE EQUIP ON BOARD THE ACFT TO PROPERLY DETERMINE THE PATIENT'S CONDITION. BASED ON THE INFO AT HAND, THE CAPT DECIDED TO DIVERT TO ANC AND GET MEDICAL ATTN FOR THIS LADY. DUE TO OUR WT, WE COORDINATED WITH CTR AND DUMPED 60000 LBS OF FUEL AS WE PROCEEDED TO ANC. WE LANDED IN ANC, OFFLOADED THE PATIENT AND A FRIEND, TOOK ON ADDITIONAL FUEL AND PROCEEDED TO NRT.

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.