B737-300 crew had a passenger medical emergency in ZDV class a airspace.

Attributes
ACN	523990
Time
Date	200108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zdv.artcc
State Reference	CO
Altitude	msl single value : 31000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 1619
ASRS Report	523990
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 3-4
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Cabin Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

About 40 mins from landing at cos, informed of medical situation developing in coach cabin. Obtained information needed for contact with dispatch from first flight attendant who was in contact with coach cabin flight attendants receiving information from passenger with medical condition. Passenger who was nurse was attending passenger and suggested we should have paramedics meet aircraft on arrival cos. Was told passenger had a morphine drip going and was feeling woozy, but was ok and out of restroom and in a seat in last row coach. All appropriate contact was made and an uneventful arrival followed by medical passenger removal by paramedics occurred at bos. With crew in van to hotel we were discussing the event and it was revealed that in fact unbeknownst to me the medical passenger was unable to return to a seat prior to landing and was in aft lavatory and the nurse who was helping him was standing at aft lavatory door talking to him so he would not pass out and she refused repeated requests to situation in a seat for landing. No one was hurt because we made a smooth landing and didn't jam on the brakes, but I sure wish I had known this. I brief crew to communicate and work as a team, but obviously there was a breakdown in communication and the chain of communication had too many links to facilitate information flow.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW HAD A PAX MEDICAL EMER IN ZDV CLASS A AIRSPACE.

Narrative: ABOUT 40 MINS FROM LNDG AT COS, INFORMED OF MEDICAL SIT DEVELOPING IN COACH CABIN. OBTAINED INFO NEEDED FOR CONTACT WITH DISPATCH FROM FIRST FLT ATTENDANT WHO WAS IN CONTACT WITH COACH CABIN FLT ATTENDANTS RECEIVING INFO FROM PAX WITH MEDICAL CONDITION. PAX WHO WAS NURSE WAS ATTENDING PAX AND SUGGESTED WE SHOULD HAVE PARAMEDICS MEET ACFT ON ARR COS. WAS TOLD PAX HAD A MORPHINE DRIP GOING AND WAS FEELING WOOZY, BUT WAS OK AND OUT OF RESTROOM AND IN A SEAT IN LAST ROW COACH. ALL APPROPRIATE CONTACT WAS MADE AND AN UNEVENTFUL ARR FOLLOWED BY MEDICAL PAX REMOVAL BY PARAMEDICS OCCURRED AT BOS. WITH CREW IN VAN TO HOTEL WE WERE DISCUSSING THE EVENT AND IT WAS REVEALED THAT IN FACT UNBEKNOWNST TO ME THE MEDICAL PAX WAS UNABLE TO RETURN TO A SEAT PRIOR TO LNDG AND WAS IN AFT LAVATORY AND THE NURSE WHO WAS HELPING HIM WAS STANDING AT AFT LAVATORY DOOR TALKING TO HIM SO HE WOULD NOT PASS OUT AND SHE REFUSED REPEATED REQUESTS TO SIT IN A SEAT FOR LNDG. NO ONE WAS HURT BECAUSE WE MADE A SMOOTH LNDG AND DIDN'T JAM ON THE BRAKES, BUT I SURE WISH I HAD KNOWN THIS. I BRIEF CREW TO COMMUNICATE AND WORK AS A TEAM, BUT OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS A BREAKDOWN IN COM AND THE CHAIN OF COM HAD TOO MANY LINKS TO FACILITATE INFO FLOW.

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.