Narrative:

Approximately 1 hour after takeoff, #2 flight attendant called me to inform me that they had a passenger whose wife felt her husband was 'not breathing.' the flight attendants checked his pulse and he 'woke up.' his wife then gave him nitro pills and said he was fine. The flight attendants provided a cold cloth for him at the wife's request. I thought it best to go back and follow up. I called the cockpit before I went back to just give them a heads up to what I had been told. When I arrived, passenger X had his head back, eyes shut and looked awful (pale white). He seemed to have labored breathing. I asked his wife a little information about his history and she informed me he had a previous heart attack. I thought he looked awful enough and seemed sort of semi-conscious to me that he needed oxygen and I thought we should page for a doctor -- his wife agreed. I then called the cockpit to inform them of this. I paged for a doctor. Immediately, dr X came over and we proceeded back to his seat area. When she arrived, she looked up at me and shook her head and said 'he's out.' I called the cockpit also to inform him. During this time, the passenger sort of came to a bit, then back out again, then back to again. He laid down, remained on oxygen. Meanwhile, the doctor spoke with the captain on the interphone and explained her findings and recommendations. The decision to divert to cleveland was made. We were able to seat the doctor and the passenger near each other. The doctor suggested we keep the aed nearby just in case, but did not use it. Because his situation was so unstable and landing was going to be quick, none of the medical kits were opened. Captain gave us 15 mins land time, so we all went to task getting the cabin ready for landing. We landed in cleveland where paramedics met the flight and passenger X was removed and taken off in the ambulance. No other passenger deplaned. We took off uneventfully after refueling and a maintenance inspection. A secondary occurrence during this was my #2 flight attendant hurt her back while trying to obtain a solid state unit from its compartment. Lax flight service met the flight to speak with us about our reports and also to #2 flight attendant about her injury. Please note also the crew coordination and communication by this crew was excellent. Captain was outstanding and supportive to the flight attendants, both during and after the emergency. The entire flight attendant crew performed with precision and professionalism. A great team effort and testament to our training.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B767 CREW, DURING CRUISE, EXPERIENCED A PAX MEDICAL EMER REQUIRING A LNDG SHORT OF DEST.

Narrative: APPROX 1 HR AFTER TKOF, #2 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED ME TO INFORM ME THAT THEY HAD A PAX WHOSE WIFE FELT HER HUSBAND WAS 'NOT BREATHING.' THE FLT ATTENDANTS CHKED HIS PULSE AND HE 'WOKE UP.' HIS WIFE THEN GAVE HIM NITRO PILLS AND SAID HE WAS FINE. THE FLT ATTENDANTS PROVIDED A COLD CLOTH FOR HIM AT THE WIFE'S REQUEST. I THOUGHT IT BEST TO GO BACK AND FOLLOW UP. I CALLED THE COCKPIT BEFORE I WENT BACK TO JUST GIVE THEM A HEADS UP TO WHAT I HAD BEEN TOLD. WHEN I ARRIVED, PAX X HAD HIS HEAD BACK, EYES SHUT AND LOOKED AWFUL (PALE WHITE). HE SEEMED TO HAVE LABORED BREATHING. I ASKED HIS WIFE A LITTLE INFO ABOUT HIS HISTORY AND SHE INFORMED ME HE HAD A PREVIOUS HEART ATTACK. I THOUGHT HE LOOKED AWFUL ENOUGH AND SEEMED SORT OF SEMI-CONSCIOUS TO ME THAT HE NEEDED OXYGEN AND I THOUGHT WE SHOULD PAGE FOR A DOCTOR -- HIS WIFE AGREED. I THEN CALLED THE COCKPIT TO INFORM THEM OF THIS. I PAGED FOR A DOCTOR. IMMEDIATELY, DR X CAME OVER AND WE PROCEEDED BACK TO HIS SEAT AREA. WHEN SHE ARRIVED, SHE LOOKED UP AT ME AND SHOOK HER HEAD AND SAID 'HE'S OUT.' I CALLED THE COCKPIT ALSO TO INFORM HIM. DURING THIS TIME, THE PAX SORT OF CAME TO A BIT, THEN BACK OUT AGAIN, THEN BACK TO AGAIN. HE LAID DOWN, REMAINED ON OXYGEN. MEANWHILE, THE DOCTOR SPOKE WITH THE CAPT ON THE INTERPHONE AND EXPLAINED HER FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. THE DECISION TO DIVERT TO CLEVELAND WAS MADE. WE WERE ABLE TO SEAT THE DOCTOR AND THE PAX NEAR EACH OTHER. THE DOCTOR SUGGESTED WE KEEP THE AED NEARBY JUST IN CASE, BUT DID NOT USE IT. BECAUSE HIS SIT WAS SO UNSTABLE AND LNDG WAS GOING TO BE QUICK, NONE OF THE MEDICAL KITS WERE OPENED. CAPT GAVE US 15 MINS LAND TIME, SO WE ALL WENT TO TASK GETTING THE CABIN READY FOR LNDG. WE LANDED IN CLEVELAND WHERE PARAMEDICS MET THE FLT AND PAX X WAS REMOVED AND TAKEN OFF IN THE AMBULANCE. NO OTHER PAX DEPLANED. WE TOOK OFF UNEVENTFULLY AFTER REFUELING AND A MAINT INSPECTION. A SECONDARY OCCURRENCE DURING THIS WAS MY #2 FLT ATTENDANT HURT HER BACK WHILE TRYING TO OBTAIN A SOLID STATE UNIT FROM ITS COMPARTMENT. LAX FLT SVC MET THE FLT TO SPEAK WITH US ABOUT OUR RPTS AND ALSO TO #2 FLT ATTENDANT ABOUT HER INJURY. PLEASE NOTE ALSO THE CREW COORD AND COM BY THIS CREW WAS EXCELLENT. CAPT WAS OUTSTANDING AND SUPPORTIVE TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS, BOTH DURING AND AFTER THE EMER. THE ENTIRE FLT ATTENDANT CREW PERFORMED WITH PRECISION AND PROFESSIONALISM. A GREAT TEAM EFFORT AND TESTAMENT TO OUR TRAINING.

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.