Narrative:

Passenger rang call light to say his wife was not feeling well. When I looked at her and shook her arm her eyelids fluttered open and she gave me a vacant stare. I went to get oxygen for her, and I also paged for an 'md' or 'do.' 2 doctors responded to the call and I took them to the ill passenger. She had lost consciousness, but was breathing. I attached oxygen mask to her face and turned it on. Then I told the doctors I would go get the enhanced medical kit and bring it to them. The other flight attendant was on the phone with the cockpit and she came over to tell the doctors we could land in memphis, if that was necessary. They indicated we should land the plane, and they continued treating passenger with items from enhanced medical kit. The passenger had a pulse, so we did not use aed. Plane landed in memphis and paramedics removed ill passenger and her husband. One of the doctors suggested a manual cuff for testing blood pressure, instead of the digital one, which did not work. Also he suggested an accu-check be added to the emk to test for blood sugar level. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that she had, in addition to her report to ASRS, sent an event report (report forms are carried within the flight attendant's service kits) to the air carrier itself with the comments of the doctor regarding the emk deficiencies. She has not had any feedback from that carrier. Reporter was going to call the medical department to see if they have any further information related to the reliability of the digital blood pressure monitor that was the subject of this report. She does not know if other airlines carry the same piece of equipment or what their emk's contain, or if there are, in fact any emk's on board at all.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLT ATTENDANT RPT ON THE INADEQUACIES OF THE EMER MEDICAL KIT CARRIED ON HER MD80 DURING A PAX MEDICAL EMER THAT DIVERTED THE FLT TO MEM, TN.

Narrative: PAX RANG CALL LIGHT TO SAY HIS WIFE WAS NOT FEELING WELL. WHEN I LOOKED AT HER AND SHOOK HER ARM HER EYELIDS FLUTTERED OPEN AND SHE GAVE ME A VACANT STARE. I WENT TO GET OXYGEN FOR HER, AND I ALSO PAGED FOR AN 'MD' OR 'DO.' 2 DOCTORS RESPONDED TO THE CALL AND I TOOK THEM TO THE ILL PAX. SHE HAD LOST CONSCIOUSNESS, BUT WAS BREATHING. I ATTACHED OXYGEN MASK TO HER FACE AND TURNED IT ON. THEN I TOLD THE DOCTORS I WOULD GO GET THE ENHANCED MEDICAL KIT AND BRING IT TO THEM. THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANT WAS ON THE PHONE WITH THE COCKPIT AND SHE CAME OVER TO TELL THE DOCTORS WE COULD LAND IN MEMPHIS, IF THAT WAS NECESSARY. THEY INDICATED WE SHOULD LAND THE PLANE, AND THEY CONTINUED TREATING PAX WITH ITEMS FROM ENHANCED MEDICAL KIT. THE PAX HAD A PULSE, SO WE DID NOT USE AED. PLANE LANDED IN MEMPHIS AND PARAMEDICS REMOVED ILL PAX AND HER HUSBAND. ONE OF THE DOCTORS SUGGESTED A MANUAL CUFF FOR TESTING BLOOD PRESSURE, INSTEAD OF THE DIGITAL ONE, WHICH DID NOT WORK. ALSO HE SUGGESTED AN ACCU-CHECK BE ADDED TO THE EMK TO TEST FOR BLOOD SUGAR LEVEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT SHE HAD, IN ADDITION TO HER RPT TO ASRS, SENT AN EVENT RPT (RPT FORMS ARE CARRIED WITHIN THE FLT ATTENDANT'S SVC KITS) TO THE ACR ITSELF WITH THE COMMENTS OF THE DOCTOR REGARDING THE EMK DEFICIENCIES. SHE HAS NOT HAD ANY FEEDBACK FROM THAT CARRIER. RPTR WAS GOING TO CALL THE MEDICAL DEPT TO SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY FURTHER INFO RELATED TO THE RELIABILITY OF THE DIGITAL BLOOD PRESSURE MONITOR THAT WAS THE SUBJECT OF THIS RPT. SHE DOES NOT KNOW IF OTHER AIRLINES CARRY THE SAME PIECE OF EQUIP OR WHAT THEIR EMK'S CONTAIN, OR IF THERE ARE, IN FACT ANY EMK'S ON BOARD AT ALL.

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.