Narrative:

Medical emergency. Approximately 20 mins from ZZZ; flight attendant called and notified us of medical emergency. I asked for passenger name and seat. Within a moment or two; she called back indicating passenger name. Also informed passenger was 10 yr old boy having seizure. I asked flight attendant to check to see if medical condition or prior medical history as well as if parents were with child. Flight attendant indicated the boy had no condition; but had been hit in the head a day or two before; with an injured nose and black eyes. I passed the information to the captain; who continued flying while I handled communication with flight attendant and dispatch. Captain declared emergency and asked me to notify dispatch; which I did via ACARS. Since nearest airport was ZZZ; captain elected to continue to ZZZ. After flight attendant indicated no medical staff on board; I suggested calling dispatch on aircraft passenger phone system. Shortly thereafter; we received message from dispatch indicating doctor was talking to flight attendant on air phone. Captain expedited approach and landing. Paramedics met aircraft and boarded aircraft prior to passenger exiting. I feel this was a well communicated; coordination event and commend the captain on his handling of the event. Supplemental information from acn 700963: ATC responded immediately and removed speed restrs on the arrival and we accelerated to maintain 340 KTS. We maintained our high airspeed below 10000 ft until we were approximately abeam the airport. The ramp controller stated they observed smoke from our right engine. We did not have any unusual indications in the cockpit and we were yards away from the gate (my initial thought was smoke from the brakes) so I determined to get to the gate and handle the report of smoke while the paramedics could start handling the medical emergency. The first officer then opened his window to observe the smoke issue. He stated that indeed the source was from the engine but it was at that time not serious. In retrospect I am critical of my assessment of the report of smoke by the ramp controller. I weighed the highest probability to a brake issue rather than an engine smoke issue. In the future I will assess a high priority and reliability of such reports from outside the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW AND CABIN CREW OF A320 EXPERIENCE AN ONBOARD MEDICAL EMER.

Narrative: MEDICAL EMER. APPROX 20 MINS FROM ZZZ; FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND NOTIFIED US OF MEDICAL EMER. I ASKED FOR PAX NAME AND SEAT. WITHIN A MOMENT OR TWO; SHE CALLED BACK INDICATING PAX NAME. ALSO INFORMED PAX WAS 10 YR OLD BOY HAVING SEIZURE. I ASKED FLT ATTENDANT TO CHK TO SEE IF MEDICAL CONDITION OR PRIOR MEDICAL HISTORY AS WELL AS IF PARENTS WERE WITH CHILD. FLT ATTENDANT INDICATED THE BOY HAD NO CONDITION; BUT HAD BEEN HIT IN THE HEAD A DAY OR TWO BEFORE; WITH AN INJURED NOSE AND BLACK EYES. I PASSED THE INFO TO THE CAPT; WHO CONTINUED FLYING WHILE I HANDLED COM WITH FLT ATTENDANT AND DISPATCH. CAPT DECLARED EMER AND ASKED ME TO NOTIFY DISPATCH; WHICH I DID VIA ACARS. SINCE NEAREST ARPT WAS ZZZ; CAPT ELECTED TO CONTINUE TO ZZZ. AFTER FLT ATTENDANT INDICATED NO MEDICAL STAFF ON BOARD; I SUGGESTED CALLING DISPATCH ON ACFT PAX PHONE SYS. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; WE RECEIVED MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH INDICATING DOCTOR WAS TALKING TO FLT ATTENDANT ON AIR PHONE. CAPT EXPEDITED APCH AND LNDG. PARAMEDICS MET ACFT AND BOARDED ACFT PRIOR TO PAX EXITING. I FEEL THIS WAS A WELL COMMUNICATED; COORD EVENT AND COMMEND THE CAPT ON HIS HANDLING OF THE EVENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 700963: ATC RESPONDED IMMEDIATELY AND REMOVED SPD RESTRS ON THE ARR AND WE ACCELERATED TO MAINTAIN 340 KTS. WE MAINTAINED OUR HIGH AIRSPD BELOW 10000 FT UNTIL WE WERE APPROX ABEAM THE ARPT. THE RAMP CTLR STATED THEY OBSERVED SMOKE FROM OUR R ENG. WE DID NOT HAVE ANY UNUSUAL INDICATIONS IN THE COCKPIT AND WE WERE YARDS AWAY FROM THE GATE (MY INITIAL THOUGHT WAS SMOKE FROM THE BRAKES) SO I DETERMINED TO GET TO THE GATE AND HANDLE THE RPT OF SMOKE WHILE THE PARAMEDICS COULD START HANDLING THE MEDICAL EMER. THE FO THEN OPENED HIS WINDOW TO OBSERVE THE SMOKE ISSUE. HE STATED THAT INDEED THE SOURCE WAS FROM THE ENG BUT IT WAS AT THAT TIME NOT SERIOUS. IN RETROSPECT I AM CRITICAL OF MY ASSESSMENT OF THE RPT OF SMOKE BY THE RAMP CTLR. I WEIGHED THE HIGHEST PROBABILITY TO A BRAKE ISSUE RATHER THAN AN ENG SMOKE ISSUE. IN THE FUTURE I WILL ASSESS A HIGH PRIORITY AND RELIABILITY OF SUCH RPTS FROM OUTSIDE THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.