Flight crew of a B737 declared a medical emergency for an ill passenger and was given expedited ATC ...

Attributes
ACN	471235
Time
Date	200004
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	msl single value : 14000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zla.artcc tracon : sct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level descent : intermediate altitude
Route In Use	arrival : on vectors
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 145 flight time total : 12700 flight time type : 6220
ASRS Report	471235
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 3
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance controller : separated traffic controller : provided flight assist flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Approximately 80 NM northeast of orange county I was advised that we had a passenger collapse in the aisle as he was going to the lavatory. The cabin had requested medical assistance from any medical personnel onboard. 2 doctors and 1 rn responded. The passenger was moved to the aft galley after being revived by the medical personnel. The third flight attendant came to the cockpit and advised me that she received proper identify from the doctors and was requesting use of the emergency medical kit. I told her to use it if needed. The doctors were concerned about the individual's condition and I declared a medical emergency with ATC. We were given clearance direct to john wayne airport. I requested paramedics meet us at the gate. Orange county operations coordinated all necessary assistance and they said they would advise our dispatcher. I asked our cabin crew for an update and inquired if the individual could be seated for landing. All the medical personnel stated their concern for the passenger and did not want to move him. Based on their assessment I told our cabin crew to leave the passenger where he was so the doctors could administer aid continually. By this time the patient was receiving oxygen. The rear row of seats was cleared and those passenger moved to other seats. The first officer handled all ATC clrncs en route to the airport. Landing was uneventful and medics met the aircraft, administering and then removing the passenger. The entire crew, although very new to the company, did a fantastic job and acted in a highly professional manner. I realize regulations require all passenger to be seated for landing. However, in this case, with several medical personnel stressing the importance of not moving the individual I felt it was in the best interest of the passenger's life to let him stay where he was, under constant medical care. Regulations and directives do not always cover these scenarios.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF A B737 DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER FOR AN ILL PAX AND WAS GIVEN EXPEDITED ATC HANDLING FOR LNDG WHERE PARAMEDICS MET ACFT AND ADMINISTERED TO THE PAX.

Narrative: APPROX 80 NM NE OF ORANGE COUNTY I WAS ADVISED THAT WE HAD A PAX COLLAPSE IN THE AISLE AS HE WAS GOING TO THE LAVATORY. THE CABIN HAD REQUESTED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FROM ANY MEDICAL PERSONNEL ONBOARD. 2 DOCTORS AND 1 RN RESPONDED. THE PAX WAS MOVED TO THE AFT GALLEY AFTER BEING REVIVED BY THE MEDICAL PERSONNEL. THE THIRD FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED ME THAT SHE RECEIVED PROPER IDENT FROM THE DOCTORS AND WAS REQUESTING USE OF THE EMER MEDICAL KIT. I TOLD HER TO USE IT IF NEEDED. THE DOCTORS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL'S CONDITION AND I DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER WITH ATC. WE WERE GIVEN CLRNC DIRECT TO JOHN WAYNE ARPT. I REQUESTED PARAMEDICS MEET US AT THE GATE. ORANGE COUNTY OPS COORDINATED ALL NECESSARY ASSISTANCE AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD ADVISE OUR DISPATCHER. I ASKED OUR CABIN CREW FOR AN UPDATE AND INQUIRED IF THE INDIVIDUAL COULD BE SEATED FOR LNDG. ALL THE MEDICAL PERSONNEL STATED THEIR CONCERN FOR THE PAX AND DID NOT WANT TO MOVE HIM. BASED ON THEIR ASSESSMENT I TOLD OUR CABIN CREW TO LEAVE THE PAX WHERE HE WAS SO THE DOCTORS COULD ADMINISTER AID CONTINUALLY. BY THIS TIME THE PATIENT WAS RECEIVING OXYGEN. THE REAR ROW OF SEATS WAS CLRED AND THOSE PAX MOVED TO OTHER SEATS. THE FO HANDLED ALL ATC CLRNCS ENRTE TO THE ARPT. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL AND MEDICS MET THE ACFT, ADMINISTERING AND THEN REMOVING THE PAX. THE ENTIRE CREW, ALTHOUGH VERY NEW TO THE COMPANY, DID A FANTASTIC JOB AND ACTED IN A HIGHLY PROFESSIONAL MANNER. I REALIZE REGS REQUIRE ALL PAX TO BE SEATED FOR LNDG. HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE, WITH SEVERAL MEDICAL PERSONNEL STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF NOT MOVING THE INDIVIDUAL I FELT IT WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PAX'S LIFE TO LET HIM STAY WHERE HE WAS, UNDER CONSTANT MEDICAL CARE. REGS AND DIRECTIVES DO NOT ALWAYS COVER THESE SCENARIOS.

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.

Flight crew of a B737 declared a medical emergency for an ill passenger and was given expedited ATC handling for landing where paramedics met aircraft and administered to the passenger.