Narrative:

When taxiing in den toward departure runway, numerous passenger call lights began ringing. A female passenger (approximately 35 yrs of age) seated in aisle seat of exit row had vomited. Myself (flight attendant #1) and flight attendant #4 walked toward passenger who vomited to learn what had happened. I promptly contacted the captain and informed him of the situation. The aircraft was stopped while we assisted passenger. Flight attendant #4 and #2 did most of the clean-up and moved passenger to an open seat -- for there were bodily fluids on the seat cushion and floor. Seat cushion was placed in a large plastic bag and stowed in an empty cart. Passenger did not want medical assistance -- she was surprised at what had happened and wanted to continue on to ord. Flight attendant #4 used the grab and go kit, found latex gloves, but no chemicals to sterilize vomit area. Later in-flight, another passenger (18 yr old male) went into seizure. A physician came to our assistance promptly. Pillows and blankets were placed around this young man while he convulsed. A second physician offered his services. The emergency medical kit and defibrillator was offered to the physicians -- blood pressure cuff and stethoscope were used. Physician stated that we needed to land aircraft as soon as possible. I informed the captain of all this. We diverted to dsm, landed at dsm in about 18 mins from the time that the physician requested the landing. There were paramedics to meet our flight in des moines. This passenger and his father and 1 more traveling companion (I believe it was the brother of this passenger) deplaned in dsm. The female passenger who had vomited before takeoff asked if she should deplane in dsm. I told her that would be her decision and suggested that she speak with the paramedics and gate agent. She decided to continue on to ord without further incident. This flight was met in ord by a flight attendant flight service manager who removed us from the duration of our trip. Airline medical informed me that even though I may have been exposed to blood born pathogens (18 yr old male vomited on emergency medical kit unbeknownst to flight attendants until after we had our bare hands on it to stow it for dsm direct ord). I cannot request information for my doctor as per what precautionary measures we need to make for exposure to this passenger's bodily fluids. It was not until the flight attendant crew of flight from den direct ord informed the outbound crew and captain that the captain was able to contact the appropriate department to have the pillows and blankets [removed]. We informed the caterer that he could not remove them. Biohazard personnel were called and he dealt with the wet seat cushions. Supplemental information from acn 539260: the passenger and father went to the hospital. The boy was discharged and later that day they both flew.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSTFLT CONFUSION AT ORD OCCURRED IN EVENTS SURROUNDING 2 PAX INCIDENTS THAT IMPACTED ON THE ACFT'S STERILE CONDITION. POSSIBLE FLT ATTENDANT EXPOSURE TO BLOOD BORN PATHOGENS FROM AN ILL PAX FROM DEN, CO.

Narrative: WHEN TAXIING IN DEN TOWARD DEP RWY, NUMEROUS PAX CALL LIGHTS BEGAN RINGING. A FEMALE PAX (APPROX 35 YRS OF AGE) SEATED IN AISLE SEAT OF EXIT ROW HAD VOMITED. MYSELF (FLT ATTENDANT #1) AND FLT ATTENDANT #4 WALKED TOWARD PAX WHO VOMITED TO LEARN WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I PROMPTLY CONTACTED THE CAPT AND INFORMED HIM OF THE SIT. THE ACFT WAS STOPPED WHILE WE ASSISTED PAX. FLT ATTENDANT #4 AND #2 DID MOST OF THE CLEAN-UP AND MOVED PAX TO AN OPEN SEAT -- FOR THERE WERE BODILY FLUIDS ON THE SEAT CUSHION AND FLOOR. SEAT CUSHION WAS PLACED IN A LARGE PLASTIC BAG AND STOWED IN AN EMPTY CART. PAX DID NOT WANT MEDICAL ASSISTANCE -- SHE WAS SURPRISED AT WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WANTED TO CONTINUE ON TO ORD. FLT ATTENDANT #4 USED THE GRAB AND GO KIT, FOUND LATEX GLOVES, BUT NO CHEMICALS TO STERILIZE VOMIT AREA. LATER INFLT, ANOTHER PAX (18 YR OLD MALE) WENT INTO SEIZURE. A PHYSICIAN CAME TO OUR ASSISTANCE PROMPTLY. PILLOWS AND BLANKETS WERE PLACED AROUND THIS YOUNG MAN WHILE HE CONVULSED. A SECOND PHYSICIAN OFFERED HIS SVCS. THE EMER MEDICAL KIT AND DEFIBRILLATOR WAS OFFERED TO THE PHYSICIANS -- BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF AND STETHOSCOPE WERE USED. PHYSICIAN STATED THAT WE NEEDED TO LAND ACFT ASAP. I INFORMED THE CAPT OF ALL THIS. WE DIVERTED TO DSM, LANDED AT DSM IN ABOUT 18 MINS FROM THE TIME THAT THE PHYSICIAN REQUESTED THE LNDG. THERE WERE PARAMEDICS TO MEET OUR FLT IN DES MOINES. THIS PAX AND HIS FATHER AND 1 MORE TRAVELING COMPANION (I BELIEVE IT WAS THE BROTHER OF THIS PAX) DEPLANED IN DSM. THE FEMALE PAX WHO HAD VOMITED BEFORE TKOF ASKED IF SHE SHOULD DEPLANE IN DSM. I TOLD HER THAT WOULD BE HER DECISION AND SUGGESTED THAT SHE SPEAK WITH THE PARAMEDICS AND GATE AGENT. SHE DECIDED TO CONTINUE ON TO ORD WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. THIS FLT WAS MET IN ORD BY A FLT ATTENDANT FLT SVC MGR WHO REMOVED US FROM THE DURATION OF OUR TRIP. AIRLINE MEDICAL INFORMED ME THAT EVEN THOUGH I MAY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO BLOOD BORN PATHOGENS (18 YR OLD MALE VOMITED ON EMER MEDICAL KIT UNBEKNOWNST TO FLT ATTENDANTS UNTIL AFTER WE HAD OUR BARE HANDS ON IT TO STOW IT FOR DSM DIRECT ORD). I CANNOT REQUEST INFO FOR MY DOCTOR AS PER WHAT PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES WE NEED TO MAKE FOR EXPOSURE TO THIS PAX'S BODILY FLUIDS. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE FLT ATTENDANT CREW OF FLT FROM DEN DIRECT ORD INFORMED THE OUTBOUND CREW AND CAPT THAT THE CAPT WAS ABLE TO CONTACT THE APPROPRIATE DEPT TO HAVE THE PILLOWS AND BLANKETS [REMOVED]. WE INFORMED THE CATERER THAT HE COULD NOT REMOVE THEM. BIOHAZARD PERSONNEL WERE CALLED AND HE DEALT WITH THE WET SEAT CUSHIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 539260: THE PAX AND FATHER WENT TO THE HOSPITAL. THE BOY WAS DISCHARGED AND LATER THAT DAY THEY BOTH FLEW.

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.