Narrative:

Medical emergency at 12000 ft MSL on gep 4 STAR to msp. Lead flight attendant's advised flight deck crew that a 10 yr old boy was experiencing an apparent severe allergic reaction. The flight attendant's were being assisted by an rn and wanted to administer benadryl. Our new cabin 'air phone' medical clinic contact did not work. I contacted our flight dispatcher on the radio and requested a phone patch to medical clinic. ATC was advised of our problem and we were then well into the approach phase below 10000 ft with the usual altitude and heading changes. We were IMC in the clouds. ATC assigned us runway 30L to facilitate our arrival. I began to reprogram the approach, retune the radios and started on appropriate checklists, since we were initially assigned runway 30R. Considerations were: getting airplane on the ground safely and quickly, obtaining clinic concurrence prior to administering drug, making sure both pilots were attending to primary tasks. I set up the observer's jack box and had the flight attendant's talk to the clinic on the #2 radio. This resulted in 2 inexperienced radio operators attempting to converse with each other. The process took too long, but the end result was satisfactory. If I had this situation again, I would use the dispatcher to relay information to and then back to the aircraft. This is the second instance in as many months for me of a 2 person crew having a lot to do in a very compressed time frame during a critical phase of flight. I have experienced several similar sits during the past few yrs. The presence of a qualified jump seater, airline pilot or FAA, or an augmented crew member, makes a big difference. The third individual can be assigned all ancillary tasks and this makes for a very smooth operation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DSNDING B757-200 FLC IS OVERBURDENED WITH A PAX MEDICAL EMER WHEN THE CABIN AIR PHONE CANNOT BE USED FOR CONTACTING A DIRECT NUMBER TO THE MEDICAL CLINIC NEAR MSP, MN.

Narrative: MEDICAL EMER AT 12000 FT MSL ON GEP 4 STAR TO MSP. LEAD FA'S ADVISED FLT DECK CREW THAT A 10 YR OLD BOY WAS EXPERIENCING AN APPARENT SEVERE ALLERGIC REACTION. THE FA'S WERE BEING ASSISTED BY AN RN AND WANTED TO ADMINISTER BENADRYL. OUR NEW CABIN 'AIR PHONE' MEDICAL CLINIC CONTACT DID NOT WORK. I CONTACTED OUR FLT DISPATCHER ON THE RADIO AND REQUESTED A PHONE PATCH TO MEDICAL CLINIC. ATC WAS ADVISED OF OUR PROB AND WE WERE THEN WELL INTO THE APCH PHASE BELOW 10000 FT WITH THE USUAL ALT AND HDG CHANGES. WE WERE IMC IN THE CLOUDS. ATC ASSIGNED US RWY 30L TO FACILITATE OUR ARR. I BEGAN TO REPROGRAM THE APCH, RETUNE THE RADIOS AND STARTED ON APPROPRIATE CHKLISTS, SINCE WE WERE INITIALLY ASSIGNED RWY 30R. CONSIDERATIONS WERE: GETTING AIRPLANE ON THE GND SAFELY AND QUICKLY, OBTAINING CLINIC CONCURRENCE PRIOR TO ADMINISTERING DRUG, MAKING SURE BOTH PLTS WERE ATTENDING TO PRIMARY TASKS. I SET UP THE OBSERVER'S JACK BOX AND HAD THE FA'S TALK TO THE CLINIC ON THE #2 RADIO. THIS RESULTED IN 2 INEXPERIENCED RADIO OPERATORS ATTEMPTING TO CONVERSE WITH EACH OTHER. THE PROCESS TOOK TOO LONG, BUT THE END RESULT WAS SATISFACTORY. IF I HAD THIS SIT AGAIN, I WOULD USE THE DISPATCHER TO RELAY INFO TO AND THEN BACK TO THE ACFT. THIS IS THE SECOND INSTANCE IN AS MANY MONTHS FOR ME OF A 2 PERSON CREW HAVING A LOT TO DO IN A VERY COMPRESSED TIME FRAME DURING A CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT. I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL SIMILAR SITS DURING THE PAST FEW YRS. THE PRESENCE OF A QUALIFIED JUMP SEATER, AIRLINE PLT OR FAA, OR AN AUGMENTED CREW MEMBER, MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. THE THIRD INDIVIDUAL CAN BE ASSIGNED ALL ANCILLARY TASKS AND THIS MAKES FOR A VERY SMOOTH OP.

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.