Narrative:

I received a call on the flight interphone from one of the flight attendants in coach cabin stating; 'we have a code red.' I asked if this was a medical emergency; if we had any physicians on board and if we needed to land the airplane. He said he would get back to me. I began looking at nearest airports while first officer began to look up the frequency for the physicians on call. The flight attendant called back moments later explaining we had an infant who was choking and not breathing and a nurse was attending to her. We immediately declared an emergency with ATC on account of medical emergency and requested descent and vectors to ZZZ (the closest appropriate airport about 20 mi behind us). We weighed approximately 151000 pounds and would be landing about 7000 pounds above maximum structural landing weight. First officer began the overweight landing checklist; the emergency landing checklist and the before landing checklist. I made a PA explaining what we were doing; how long before we would land and asking the passenger cooperation to please listen to the flight attendants as we prepare to land. I then notified dispatch as I have been trained (most recently in a loft scenario just the week prior) by selecting ACARS 7700. This page has destination; estimated fuel; a 'Y' in the column 'request aarf' and space for a short free text message. I typed 'med emergency;' pressed the send prompt and went on to prepare for the approach. Runway xx at ZZZ was wet with 8001 ft usable and first officer indicated we were below runway and climb limits as per performance charts. I elected to use maximum autobrakes. First officer completed all checklists and even had time to call ZZZ station on VHF #2 and arranged for a gate. Touchdown was normal (not a greaser but not hard); rollout uneventful and I taxied straight to the gate where the guideman and wing walkers were in position. Paramedics; police; supervisors and station personnel were waiting on the jetbridge. The baby; who was breathing and crying by this time; and her 2 frightened parents were whisked away to a children's hospital nearby. After thanking the paramedics and others for their prompt response I returned to the cockpit where first officer tore the following message from dispatch 'is there med emergency.' the emergency had been over for about 10 mins and I am not certain anyone at dispatch even knew where we were. It is not my intention to point fingers but something went very wrong here. We responded exactly as trained and my expectation is that once I send that 7700 emergency message I will receive the full attention of dispatch and all the resources this airline can summon to save a life. Apparently this did not happen and we need to make sure this does not happen again. I would like to point out that 7500 is also on that same ACARS page. Please tell me there is no chance this code would not get delivered and responded to appropriately. I would like to recognize first officer for his outstanding efforts. We landed about 10-12 mins after first being notified of a possible medical emergency and his response was quick; appropriate and professional. He completed tasks without being asked allowing me to focus on flying the airplane. I would like to give credit to flight attendants for their part in responding to this emergency and quite possibly saving this baby's life. Station personnel are especially deserving of kudos for their response and professionalism. Given very little advance notice they were able to marshal all the help we needed right down to the details including maintenance; flight plans; fuel and even lavatory servicing! Great job! If not for the efforts of these individuals this situation may have ended very differently. One final cautionary note: buried deep in part X is a note saying if we happen to hear the flight attendants discussing 'code red;' this is internal communication regarding a medical emergency and how they are to respond. My suggestion would be that we either speak the same language or provide better training in one another's response methods. In all honesty; 'code red' sounds a bit silly; as though someone has seen too many er episodes; and in no way indicates the seriousness of the emergency. I gave praise tothe flight attendants for their handling of the emergency but recommended in the future to simply use plain english and just let us know if we need to land.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 FLT CREW RECEIVED NOTIFICATION FROM FLT ATTENDANTS OF A MEDICAL EMER IN THE CABIN. FLT DIVERTED FOR OVERWEIGHT LNDG.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A CALL ON THE FLT INTERPHONE FROM ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS IN COACH CABIN STATING; 'WE HAVE A CODE RED.' I ASKED IF THIS WAS A MEDICAL EMER; IF WE HAD ANY PHYSICIANS ON BOARD AND IF WE NEEDED TO LAND THE AIRPLANE. HE SAID HE WOULD GET BACK TO ME. I BEGAN LOOKING AT NEAREST ARPTS WHILE FO BEGAN TO LOOK UP THE FREQ FOR THE PHYSICIANS ON CALL. THE FLT ATTENDANT CALLED BACK MOMENTS LATER EXPLAINING WE HAD AN INFANT WHO WAS CHOKING AND NOT BREATHING AND A NURSE WAS ATTENDING TO HER. WE IMMEDIATELY DECLARED AN EMER WITH ATC ON ACCOUNT OF MEDICAL EMER AND REQUESTED DSCNT AND VECTORS TO ZZZ (THE CLOSEST APPROPRIATE ARPT ABOUT 20 MI BEHIND US). WE WEIGHED APPROX 151000 LBS AND WOULD BE LNDG ABOUT 7000 LBS ABOVE MAX STRUCTURAL LNDG WT. FO BEGAN THE OVERWT LNDG CHKLIST; THE EMER LNDG CHKLIST AND THE BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST. I MADE A PA EXPLAINING WHAT WE WERE DOING; HOW LONG BEFORE WE WOULD LAND AND ASKING THE PAX COOPERATION TO PLEASE LISTEN TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AS WE PREPARE TO LAND. I THEN NOTIFIED DISPATCH AS I HAVE BEEN TRAINED (MOST RECENTLY IN A LOFT SCENARIO JUST THE WK PRIOR) BY SELECTING ACARS 7700. THIS PAGE HAS DEST; ESTIMATED FUEL; A 'Y' IN THE COLUMN 'REQUEST AARF' AND SPACE FOR A SHORT FREE TEXT MESSAGE. I TYPED 'MED EMER;' PRESSED THE SEND PROMPT AND WENT ON TO PREPARE FOR THE APCH. RWY XX AT ZZZ WAS WET WITH 8001 FT USABLE AND FO INDICATED WE WERE BELOW RWY AND CLB LIMITS AS PER PERFORMANCE CHARTS. I ELECTED TO USE MAX AUTOBRAKES. FO COMPLETED ALL CHKLISTS AND EVEN HAD TIME TO CALL ZZZ STATION ON VHF #2 AND ARRANGED FOR A GATE. TOUCHDOWN WAS NORMAL (NOT A GREASER BUT NOT HARD); ROLLOUT UNEVENTFUL AND I TAXIED STRAIGHT TO THE GATE WHERE THE GUIDEMAN AND WING WALKERS WERE IN POS. PARAMEDICS; POLICE; SUPVRS AND STATION PERSONNEL WERE WAITING ON THE JETBRIDGE. THE BABY; WHO WAS BREATHING AND CRYING BY THIS TIME; AND HER 2 FRIGHTENED PARENTS WERE WHISKED AWAY TO A CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL NEARBY. AFTER THANKING THE PARAMEDICS AND OTHERS FOR THEIR PROMPT RESPONSE I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT WHERE FO TORE THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH 'IS THERE MED EMER.' THE EMER HAD BEEN OVER FOR ABOUT 10 MINS AND I AM NOT CERTAIN ANYONE AT DISPATCH EVEN KNEW WHERE WE WERE. IT IS NOT MY INTENTION TO POINT FINGERS BUT SOMETHING WENT VERY WRONG HERE. WE RESPONDED EXACTLY AS TRAINED AND MY EXPECTATION IS THAT ONCE I SEND THAT 7700 EMER MESSAGE I WILL RECEIVE THE FULL ATTN OF DISPATCH AND ALL THE RESOURCES THIS AIRLINE CAN SUMMON TO SAVE A LIFE. APPARENTLY THIS DID NOT HAPPEN AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT 7500 IS ALSO ON THAT SAME ACARS PAGE. PLEASE TELL ME THERE IS NO CHANCE THIS CODE WOULD NOT GET DELIVERED AND RESPONDED TO APPROPRIATELY. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE FO FOR HIS OUTSTANDING EFFORTS. WE LANDED ABOUT 10-12 MINS AFTER FIRST BEING NOTIFIED OF A POSSIBLE MEDICAL EMER AND HIS RESPONSE WAS QUICK; APPROPRIATE AND PROFESSIONAL. HE COMPLETED TASKS WITHOUT BEING ASKED ALLOWING ME TO FOCUS ON FLYING THE AIRPLANE. I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE CREDIT TO FLT ATTENDANTS FOR THEIR PART IN RESPONDING TO THIS EMER AND QUITE POSSIBLY SAVING THIS BABY'S LIFE. STATION PERSONNEL ARE ESPECIALLY DESERVING OF KUDOS FOR THEIR RESPONSE AND PROFESSIONALISM. GIVEN VERY LITTLE ADVANCE NOTICE THEY WERE ABLE TO MARSHAL ALL THE HELP WE NEEDED RIGHT DOWN TO THE DETAILS INCLUDING MAINT; FLT PLANS; FUEL AND EVEN LAVATORY SVCING! GREAT JOB! IF NOT FOR THE EFFORTS OF THESE INDIVIDUALS THIS SITUATION MAY HAVE ENDED VERY DIFFERENTLY. ONE FINAL CAUTIONARY NOTE: BURIED DEEP IN PART X IS A NOTE SAYING IF WE HAPPEN TO HEAR THE FLT ATTENDANTS DISCUSSING 'CODE RED;' THIS IS INTERNAL COM REGARDING A MEDICAL EMER AND HOW THEY ARE TO RESPOND. MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE THAT WE EITHER SPEAK THE SAME LANGUAGE OR PROVIDE BETTER TRAINING IN ONE ANOTHER'S RESPONSE METHODS. IN ALL HONESTY; 'CODE RED' SOUNDS A BIT SILLY; AS THOUGH SOMEONE HAS SEEN TOO MANY ER EPISODES; AND IN NO WAY INDICATES THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE EMER. I GAVE PRAISE TOTHE FLT ATTENDANTS FOR THEIR HANDLING OF THE EMER BUT RECOMMENDED IN THE FUTURE TO SIMPLY USE PLAIN ENGLISH AND JUST LET US KNOW IF WE NEED TO LAND.

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.