A pregnant woman with difficulties leads a crew, under an onboard doctor's advice, to divert for med...

Attributes
ACN	558537
Time
Date	200208
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : stl.airport
State Reference	MO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
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
ASRS Report	558537
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe cabin event : passenger illness non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : diverted to another airport none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

In cruise flight attendant called to inform us that a pregnant woman was incoherent, being given oxygen, and that a call was going to be made for a doctor. Doctor responded and the eemk was released to him. He used the blood pressure cuff and the stethoscope. Doctor examined passenger and determined that she had a brief loss of consciousness, that her blood pressure was 80, and that her pulse was 94. As she was 7 weeks pregnant, doctor recommended diversion, paramedics, and hospitalization. I informed dispatch and a decision was reached to divert to stl. The paramedics met the aircraft and passenger, her husband, and her son deplaned. The flight attendants did a wonderful job both in communicating and with the passenger on the ground. Stl station personnel, called out in the middle of the night, did a fantastic job. The aircraft was turned in 1 hour. I forgot to get the opened eemk and used oxygen bottle deferred prior to departure from stl to bwi. I realized my mistake as we reached cruise and contacted maintenance at that time. Human factors -- very busy in an unfamiliar environment and forgot.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PREGNANT WOMAN WITH DIFFICULTIES LEADS A CREW, UNDER AN ONBOARD DOCTOR'S ADVICE, TO DIVERT FOR MEDICAL ATTN. MAINT DEFERRAL OF THE USED MEDICAL EQUIP WAS NOT DONE BEFORE THE SUBSEQUENT DEP.

Narrative: IN CRUISE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED TO INFORM US THAT A PREGNANT WOMAN WAS INCOHERENT, BEING GIVEN OXYGEN, AND THAT A CALL WAS GOING TO BE MADE FOR A DOCTOR. DOCTOR RESPONDED AND THE EEMK WAS RELEASED TO HIM. HE USED THE BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF AND THE STETHOSCOPE. DOCTOR EXAMINED PAX AND DETERMINED THAT SHE HAD A BRIEF LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS, THAT HER BLOOD PRESSURE WAS 80, AND THAT HER PULSE WAS 94. AS SHE WAS 7 WKS PREGNANT, DOCTOR RECOMMENDED DIVERSION, PARAMEDICS, AND HOSPITALIZATION. I INFORMED DISPATCH AND A DECISION WAS REACHED TO DIVERT TO STL. THE PARAMEDICS MET THE ACFT AND PAX, HER HUSBAND, AND HER SON DEPLANED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID A WONDERFUL JOB BOTH IN COMMUNICATING AND WITH THE PAX ON THE GND. STL STATION PERSONNEL, CALLED OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, DID A FANTASTIC JOB. THE ACFT WAS TURNED IN 1 HR. I FORGOT TO GET THE OPENED EEMK AND USED OXYGEN BOTTLE DEFERRED PRIOR TO DEP FROM STL TO BWI. I REALIZED MY MISTAKE AS WE REACHED CRUISE AND CONTACTED MAINT AT THAT TIME. HUMAN FACTORS -- VERY BUSY IN AN UNFAMILIAR ENVIRONMENT AND FORGOT.

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.

A pregnant woman with difficulties leads a crew, under an onboard doctor's advice, to divert for medical attention. Maintenance deferral of the used medical equipment was not done before the subsequent departure.