Narrative:

Medical emergency, passenger very sick, 72-yr old male with a colostomy bag had been sick for 4 days prior to flight. He was vomiting and very dehydrated, cool and clammy to the touch, and had passed out for a period of time, though he was breathing. A doctor was a passenger on board and she administered medical assistance to the man. Due to his dehydration she attempted to administer an iv. At some point during the treatment, the colostomy bag burst. The eemk, forward first aid kit, upk, and mid-cabin medical oxygen were used. The doctor advised that we land as soon as possible. Medical consultant was contacted and advised of the medical emergency. Communication in the cabin with medical consultant was attempted but not successful. After securing the flight deck and cabin and determining that the doctor was legitimate, we brought the doctor forward to the flight deck so that she could communicate directly with medical consultant based on the urgency of the situation. It was agreed with medical consultant and the doctor that the flight would proceed to seattle with an update approaching tucson. Passenger's condition worsened and the doctor recommended landing at tucson. We communicated this fact to dispatch over ACARS and were diverted to tucson. The passenger and his wife were met by emergency personnel and deplaned in tucson. Supplemental information from acn 609975: there was great difficulty in establishing communication. Communication via phone link was not successful. It was a critical medical situation in which a passenger's life depended on our action so we determined, that the situation required doctor to enter the flight deck and communicate with medical consultant via the flight deck radio. We assessed the situation and concluded that she was a legitimate medical doctor and was not a threat to flight deck safety.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLT CREW RPTED THAT A MEDICAL EMER NECESSITATED THE NEED TO ALLOW A PHYSICIAN ONTO THE FLT DECK TO COORDINATE WITH GND MEDICAL RESOURCES.

Narrative: MEDICAL EMER, PAX VERY SICK, 72-YR OLD MALE WITH A COLOSTOMY BAG HAD BEEN SICK FOR 4 DAYS PRIOR TO FLT. HE WAS VOMITING AND VERY DEHYDRATED, COOL AND CLAMMY TO THE TOUCH, AND HAD PASSED OUT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, THOUGH HE WAS BREATHING. A DOCTOR WAS A PAX ON BOARD AND SHE ADMINISTERED MEDICAL ASSISTANCE TO THE MAN. DUE TO HIS DEHYDRATION SHE ATTEMPTED TO ADMINISTER AN IV. AT SOME POINT DURING THE TREATMENT, THE COLOSTOMY BAG BURST. THE EEMK, FORWARD FIRST AID KIT, UPK, AND MID-CABIN MEDICAL OXYGEN WERE USED. THE DOCTOR ADVISED THAT WE LAND ASAP. MEDICAL CONSULTANT WAS CONTACTED AND ADVISED OF THE MEDICAL EMER. COM IN THE CABIN WITH MEDICAL CONSULTANT WAS ATTEMPTED BUT NOT SUCCESSFUL. AFTER SECURING THE FLT DECK AND CABIN AND DETERMINING THAT THE DOCTOR WAS LEGITIMATE, WE BROUGHT THE DOCTOR FORWARD TO THE FLT DECK SO THAT SHE COULD COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH MEDICAL CONSULTANT BASED ON THE URGENCY OF THE SIT. IT WAS AGREED WITH MEDICAL CONSULTANT AND THE DOCTOR THAT THE FLT WOULD PROCEED TO SEATTLE WITH AN UPDATE APCHING TUCSON. PAX'S CONDITION WORSENED AND THE DOCTOR RECOMMENDED LNDG AT TUCSON. WE COMMUNICATED THIS FACT TO DISPATCH OVER ACARS AND WERE DIVERTED TO TUCSON. THE PAX AND HIS WIFE WERE MET BY EMER PERSONNEL AND DEPLANED IN TUCSON. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 609975: THERE WAS GREAT DIFFICULTY IN ESTABLISHING COM. COM VIA PHONE LINK WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL. IT WAS A CRITICAL MEDICAL SIT IN WHICH A PAX'S LIFE DEPENDED ON OUR ACTION SO WE DETERMINED, THAT THE SIT REQUIRED DOCTOR TO ENTER THE FLT DECK AND COMMUNICATE WITH MEDICAL CONSULTANT VIA THE FLT DECK RADIO. WE ASSESSED THE SIT AND CONCLUDED THAT SHE WAS A LEGITIMATE MEDICAL DOCTOR AND WAS NOT A THREAT TO FLT DECK SAFETY.

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.