Narrative:

Another flight attendant informed me that a passenger appeared to be in pain, but was unable to communicate her problem. We found another passenger who was acquainted with her through work. He knew of no medical condition. We looked through her purse and could find no information to aid us. When it appeared that we weren't progressing in helping her, we asked the captain to land. We landed at rdu where the paramedics met us. They could not get any information either, and removed her. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that the woman kept holding her head in pain, and the flight attendants thought she was having an aneurysm, so that's why they wanted the captain to land as soon as possible. The paramedics took her to their ambulance and soon discovered that the woman was a diabetic and hadn't eaten all day or taken any insulin. She on her way to a convention, which required getting on another plane in miami. After the woman was revived with insulin, she looked like a totally different woman. The captain decided to let her back on to continue on to miami. The reporter was told by the paramedics that the woman was subject to a relapse, and feels like they should have left her in rdu for further medical attention. The reporter also feels that the airlines should include awareness training for this type of diabetic reaction (inability to talk, pain) in their annual recurrent emergency training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CABIN ATTENDANT RPT, S80, DCA-MIA. ILL WOMAN UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE HER PROB. FLC DIVERT TO RDU. PARAMEDICS REMOVED HER.

Narrative: ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED ME THAT A PAX APPEARED TO BE IN PAIN, BUT WAS UNABLE TO COMMUNICATE HER PROB. WE FOUND ANOTHER PAX WHO WAS ACQUAINTED WITH HER THROUGH WORK. HE KNEW OF NO MEDICAL CONDITION. WE LOOKED THROUGH HER PURSE AND COULD FIND NO INFO TO AID US. WHEN IT APPEARED THAT WE WEREN'T PROGRESSING IN HELPING HER, WE ASKED THE CAPT TO LAND. WE LANDED AT RDU WHERE THE PARAMEDICS MET US. THEY COULD NOT GET ANY INFO EITHER, AND REMOVED HER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE WOMAN KEPT HOLDING HER HEAD IN PAIN, AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS THOUGHT SHE WAS HAVING AN ANEURYSM, SO THAT'S WHY THEY WANTED THE CAPT TO LAND ASAP. THE PARAMEDICS TOOK HER TO THEIR AMBULANCE AND SOON DISCOVERED THAT THE WOMAN WAS A DIABETIC AND HADN'T EATEN ALL DAY OR TAKEN ANY INSULIN. SHE ON HER WAY TO A CONVENTION, WHICH REQUIRED GETTING ON ANOTHER PLANE IN MIAMI. AFTER THE WOMAN WAS REVIVED WITH INSULIN, SHE LOOKED LIKE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WOMAN. THE CAPT DECIDED TO LET HER BACK ON TO CONTINUE ON TO MIAMI. THE RPTR WAS TOLD BY THE PARAMEDICS THAT THE WOMAN WAS SUBJECT TO A RELAPSE, AND FEELS LIKE THEY SHOULD HAVE LEFT HER IN RDU FOR FURTHER MEDICAL ATTN. THE RPTR ALSO FEELS THAT THE AIRLINES SHOULD INCLUDE AWARENESS TRAINING FOR THIS TYPE OF DIABETIC REACTION (INABILITY TO TALK, PAIN) IN THEIR ANNUAL RECURRENT EMER TRAINING.

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.