Company dispatcher assists a B737 flight crew with an in-flight medical emergency at den.

Attributes
ACN	595482
Time
Date	200310
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : den.airport
State Reference	CO
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdv.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel
ASRS Report	595482
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : 1
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Passenger Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Flight had passenger complaining of severe headache, nausea, clammy skin, elevated blood pressure. We did a phone patch with doctor on board and air carrier duty doctor. Doctors agreed that ok to continue to den but must have paramedics meet the flight and take passenger to hospital emergency room. Crew declared medical emergency to get priority handling to den. Den advised twice via phone and once via written message that emergency declared and we needed paramedics to meet the flight. Talked to den manager both times. Gave him passenger information also. When the flight arrived at the jetway, the crew was told that den station had downgraded their status from emergency to 'sick passenger.' no paramedics were there to meet the aircraft. After discussion, the crew got den to call paramedics and they came and took passenger to hospital. I heard about it a couple hours later when crew sent me a message during their next leg, asking what happened. After being questioned by operations manager, den admitted they had downgraded the status of the passenger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPANY DISPATCHER ASSISTS A B737 FLT CREW WITH AN INFLT MEDICAL EMER AT DEN.

Narrative: FLT HAD PAX COMPLAINING OF SEVERE HEADACHE, NAUSEA, CLAMMY SKIN, ELEVATED BLOOD PRESSURE. WE DID A PHONE PATCH WITH DOCTOR ON BOARD AND ACR DUTY DOCTOR. DOCTORS AGREED THAT OK TO CONTINUE TO DEN BUT MUST HAVE PARAMEDICS MEET THE FLT AND TAKE PAX TO HOSPITAL EMER ROOM. CREW DECLARED MEDICAL EMER TO GET PRIORITY HANDLING TO DEN. DEN ADVISED TWICE VIA PHONE AND ONCE VIA WRITTEN MESSAGE THAT EMER DECLARED AND WE NEEDED PARAMEDICS TO MEET THE FLT. TALKED TO DEN MGR BOTH TIMES. GAVE HIM PAX INFO ALSO. WHEN THE FLT ARRIVED AT THE JETWAY, THE CREW WAS TOLD THAT DEN STATION HAD DOWNGRADED THEIR STATUS FROM EMER TO 'SICK PAX.' NO PARAMEDICS WERE THERE TO MEET THE ACFT. AFTER DISCUSSION, THE CREW GOT DEN TO CALL PARAMEDICS AND THEY CAME AND TOOK PAX TO HOSPITAL. I HEARD ABOUT IT A COUPLE HRS LATER WHEN CREW SENT ME A MESSAGE DURING THEIR NEXT LEG, ASKING WHAT HAPPENED. AFTER BEING QUESTIONED BY OPS MGR, DEN ADMITTED THEY HAD DOWNGRADED THE STATUS OF THE PAX.

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.