Narrative:

Flight was at cruise altitude to smf. Everything was normal when I received 4 chimes on the crew intercom system. Upon answering, my a flight attendant indicated that we had a passenger onboard, who was having a seizure. We contacted ATC and informed them of the situation, and we needed priority handling into smf. We then contacted commercial radio, and was patched through to medical dispatchers. They were then patched to the flight attendants. At this time, I was informed by my attendants that a doctor was onboard and was assisting. Moments later, the a flight attendant called and stated that the passenger had another seizure, was frothing at the mouth with some blood apparent, and that we should land as soon as possible. The doctor was also in agreement with the change of plans. I attempted to contact medical dispatch that our destination might be changing, but was unsuccessful. My first officer checked the CDU for distances and sjc was 80 mi closer than smf. We informed ATC, and using my emergency authority/authorized as the captain of the plane, we diverted to sjc. I contacted sjc operations and asked that EMS be ready on arrival. We landed 20 mins later, and on arrival, EMS boarded the aircraft and took the passenger from the aircraft. A captain from the san jose fire department informed me that the passenger would probably be taken to xyz medical hospital. I contacted dispatch and talked to them about the situation. A new release was issued, paperwork accomplished, fuel received, and we proceeded to smf uneventfully. My report of irregularity has attached to it a note from the doctor indicating the need to land as soon as possible. I would also state that at the time of divert, the flight crew was under the impression that medical dispatch and the doctor assisting were in agreement to divert. I tried to talk to medical dispatcher, but was unsuccessful. Needing both radios for communication and coordination, I did what the doctor instructed, which was to land as soon as possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CREW WAS ADVISED TO LAND AT THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT, BY AN ONBOARD MEDICAL DOCTOR PAX, BECAUSE OF A PAX IN CONVULSIONS.

Narrative: FLT WAS AT CRUISE ALT TO SMF. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL WHEN I RECEIVED 4 CHIMES ON THE CREW INTERCOM SYS. UPON ANSWERING, MY A FLT ATTENDANT INDICATED THAT WE HAD A PAX ONBOARD, WHO WAS HAVING A SEIZURE. WE CONTACTED ATC AND INFORMED THEM OF THE SIT, AND WE NEEDED PRIORITY HANDLING INTO SMF. WE THEN CONTACTED COMMERCIAL RADIO, AND WAS PATCHED THROUGH TO MEDICAL DISPATCHERS. THEY WERE THEN PATCHED TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS. AT THIS TIME, I WAS INFORMED BY MY ATTENDANTS THAT A DOCTOR WAS ONBOARD AND WAS ASSISTING. MOMENTS LATER, THE A FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND STATED THAT THE PAX HAD ANOTHER SEIZURE, WAS FROTHING AT THE MOUTH WITH SOME BLOOD APPARENT, AND THAT WE SHOULD LAND AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THE DOCTOR WAS ALSO IN AGREEMENT WITH THE CHANGE OF PLANS. I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT MEDICAL DISPATCH THAT OUR DEST MIGHT BE CHANGING, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. MY FO CHKED THE CDU FOR DISTANCES AND SJC WAS 80 MI CLOSER THAN SMF. WE INFORMED ATC, AND USING MY EMER AUTH AS THE CAPT OF THE PLANE, WE DIVERTED TO SJC. I CONTACTED SJC OPS AND ASKED THAT EMS BE READY ON ARR. WE LANDED 20 MINS LATER, AND ON ARR, EMS BOARDED THE ACFT AND TOOK THE PAX FROM THE ACFT. A CAPT FROM THE SAN JOSE FIRE DEPT INFORMED ME THAT THE PAX WOULD PROBABLY BE TAKEN TO XYZ MEDICAL HOSPITAL. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THE SIT. A NEW RELEASE WAS ISSUED, PAPERWORK ACCOMPLISHED, FUEL RECEIVED, AND WE PROCEEDED TO SMF UNEVENTFULLY. MY RPT OF IRREGULARITY HAS ATTACHED TO IT A NOTE FROM THE DOCTOR INDICATING THE NEED TO LAND ASAP. I WOULD ALSO STATE THAT AT THE TIME OF DIVERT, THE FLT CREW WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT MEDICAL DISPATCH AND THE DOCTOR ASSISTING WERE IN AGREEMENT TO DIVERT. I TRIED TO TALK TO MEDICAL DISPATCHER, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL. NEEDING BOTH RADIOS FOR COM AND COORD, I DID WHAT THE DOCTOR INSTRUCTED, WHICH WAS TO LAND ASAP.

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.