A passenger illness results in an en route diversion.

Attributes
ACN	530876
Time
Date	200111
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zme.artcc
State Reference	TN
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zme.artcc tower : zzz.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Experience	flight attendant time airline total : 8 flight attendant time total : 8 flight attendant time type : 80
ASRS Report	530876
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness
Independent Detector	other other : cab 2
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed in emergency condition
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

At approximately XA25 am, passenger X began having seizures. The #1 flight attendant responded to call light from passenger sitting next to passenger X. We all came forward to assist in any way we could. We padded the area of the passenger in question and administered oxygen. A retired nurse came forward to assist, after we paged for medical volunteers. Passenger X had several seizures, and she was in and out of consciousness. The oxygen seemed to help her relax. The captain decided to divert to bna to get passenger off the plane and to a hospital for further care. It was difficult to communicate with passenger and her sister (who was traveling with her). They only spoke spanish and none of us spoke that language. After we deplaned passenger X, the rest of the trip went without incident.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PAX ILLNESS RESULTS IN AN ENRTE DIVERSION.

Narrative: AT APPROX XA25 AM, PAX X BEGAN HAVING SEIZURES. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT RESPONDED TO CALL LIGHT FROM PAX SITTING NEXT TO PAX X. WE ALL CAME FORWARD TO ASSIST IN ANY WAY WE COULD. WE PADDED THE AREA OF THE PAX IN QUESTION AND ADMINISTERED OXYGEN. A RETIRED NURSE CAME FORWARD TO ASSIST, AFTER WE PAGED FOR MEDICAL VOLUNTEERS. PAX X HAD SEVERAL SEIZURES, AND SHE WAS IN AND OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS. THE OXYGEN SEEMED TO HELP HER RELAX. THE CAPT DECIDED TO DIVERT TO BNA TO GET PAX OFF THE PLANE AND TO A HOSPITAL FOR FURTHER CARE. IT WAS DIFFICULT TO COMMUNICATE WITH PAX AND HER SISTER (WHO WAS TRAVELING WITH HER). THEY ONLY SPOKE SPANISH AND NONE OF US SPOKE THAT LANGUAGE. AFTER WE DEPLANED PAX X, THE REST OF THE TRIP WENT WITHOUT INCIDENT.

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.