Narrative:

Approximately 20 mi south of jfk at FL250, we heard the #1 flight attendant on the interphone talking to another flight attendant in the rear of the aircraft telling him to get up front immediately. He said there was a medical emergency and it looked like a passenger was having a stroke. After hearing the flight attendant's interphone conversation, we determined that we could get on the ground soonest at bdl, based on altitude and position. The #1 flight attendant called us in the cockpit about 1 min later telling us the same thing. We declared an emergency with ZBW and were cleared direct to bdl. We made an en route descent into bdl, keeping the speed up for the arrival. The #1 flight attendant called up a little later and reported no pulse. We relayed this to center. Subsequently, obtained a pulse but no respiration. The flight attendant hooked up the aed and were advised to not shock the patient. The flight attendants were aided by a nurse and a dermatologist. We accomplished all checklists and flew visual pattern and landing to runway 24. Cleared the active and taxied to the gate where we were met by the emt's. During the entire event, the flight attendants performed admirably. During the deplaning, all of the passenger comments received were singing the praises of their efforts and professionalism. Also noteworthy were the actions of the ATC facilities involved. They were accommodating of all our requests and were extremely helpful. I could not have asked for better handling.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 CAPT, PF, RPTED OVERHEARING THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT ON THE INTERCOM REQUESTING ASSISTANCE WITH AN ILL PAX WHILE IN ZBW'S AIRSPACE.

Narrative: APPROX 20 MI S OF JFK AT FL250, WE HEARD THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT ON THE INTERPHONE TALKING TO ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT IN THE REAR OF THE ACFT TELLING HIM TO GET UP FRONT IMMEDIATELY. HE SAID THERE WAS A MEDICAL EMER AND IT LOOKED LIKE A PAX WAS HAVING A STROKE. AFTER HEARING THE FLT ATTENDANT'S INTERPHONE CONVERSATION, WE DETERMINED THAT WE COULD GET ON THE GND SOONEST AT BDL, BASED ON ALT AND POS. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED US IN THE COCKPIT ABOUT 1 MIN LATER TELLING US THE SAME THING. WE DECLARED AN EMER WITH ZBW AND WERE CLRED DIRECT TO BDL. WE MADE AN ENRTE DSCNT INTO BDL, KEEPING THE SPD UP FOR THE ARR. THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED UP A LITTLE LATER AND RPTED NO PULSE. WE RELAYED THIS TO CTR. SUBSEQUENTLY, OBTAINED A PULSE BUT NO RESPIRATION. THE FLT ATTENDANT HOOKED UP THE AED AND WERE ADVISED TO NOT SHOCK THE PATIENT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE AIDED BY A NURSE AND A DERMATOLOGIST. WE ACCOMPLISHED ALL CHKLISTS AND FLEW VISUAL PATTERN AND LNDG TO RWY 24. CLRED THE ACTIVE AND TAXIED TO THE GATE WHERE WE WERE MET BY THE EMT'S. DURING THE ENTIRE EVENT, THE FLT ATTENDANTS PERFORMED ADMIRABLY. DURING THE DEPLANING, ALL OF THE PAX COMMENTS RECEIVED WERE SINGING THE PRAISES OF THEIR EFFORTS AND PROFESSIONALISM. ALSO NOTEWORTHY WERE THE ACTIONS OF THE ATC FACILITIES INVOLVED. THEY WERE ACCOMMODATING OF ALL OUR REQUESTS AND WERE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. I COULD NOT HAVE ASKED FOR BETTER HANDLING.

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.