Narrative:

In cruise; lead flight attendant informed us that a passenger had fallen ill and was on the floor. He was pale; sweaty and approaching unconsciousness. We contacted company medical and got vital signs from emt who assisted the flight attendant. The passenger vomited and was given an iv solution of saline. Further talks with company medical and the patient's condition prompted us to expedite to ZZZ; but not to divert. Closer to ZZZ we were informed that the passenger had been in foreign country recently. This prompted discussion with company medical and ZZZ operations as to our status when we arrived. Normal landing and we immediately queried ZZZ if we needed a quarantine gate. We were assured that by authority/authorized of doctor that we could go to the gate and open the door for the paramedics. All of this was explained to the passenger prior to arrival at the gate. When we arrived at the gate there was some confusion as to our status and this process needs to be reviewed. A clear; linear decision tree should be in place for these kinds of incidents if we are to be a worldwide airline. A better decision tree is necessary to have all the players involved in such an incident; ie; cdc; local health auths; and the local emt/fire response team. One call to dispatch should be all that is necessary to remove the pilots from attempting to obtain this information in-flight. We spent a lot of time attempting to find out if we needed to be quarantined and the possible health effects to the crew. I feel that we should have told dispatch the necessary information and then flown the aircraft to the airport; knowing the process was in full gear. The crew called again and again to see what we needed and were told conflicting stories as we taxied to the gate. All worked out well as the passenger was removed and the aircraft disinfected. Further health issues to the flight attendants remain to be seen.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PAX WHO RECENTLY RETURNED FROM FOREIGN COUNTRY BECAME GRAVELY ILL ON THE ACFT. QUARANTINE PROCEDURES WERE ILL DEFINED RESULTING IN CONFUSION UPON ARR.

Narrative: IN CRUISE; LEAD FLT ATTENDANT INFORMED US THAT A PAX HAD FALLEN ILL AND WAS ON THE FLOOR. HE WAS PALE; SWEATY AND APCHING UNCONSCIOUSNESS. WE CONTACTED COMPANY MEDICAL AND GOT VITAL SIGNS FROM EMT WHO ASSISTED THE FLT ATTENDANT. THE PAX VOMITED AND WAS GIVEN AN IV SOLUTION OF SALINE. FURTHER TALKS WITH COMPANY MEDICAL AND THE PATIENT'S CONDITION PROMPTED US TO EXPEDITE TO ZZZ; BUT NOT TO DIVERT. CLOSER TO ZZZ WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE PAX HAD BEEN IN FOREIGN COUNTRY RECENTLY. THIS PROMPTED DISCUSSION WITH COMPANY MEDICAL AND ZZZ OPS AS TO OUR STATUS WHEN WE ARRIVED. NORMAL LNDG AND WE IMMEDIATELY QUERIED ZZZ IF WE NEEDED A QUARANTINE GATE. WE WERE ASSURED THAT BY AUTH OF DOCTOR THAT WE COULD GO TO THE GATE AND OPEN THE DOOR FOR THE PARAMEDICS. ALL OF THIS WAS EXPLAINED TO THE PAX PRIOR TO ARR AT THE GATE. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE GATE THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AS TO OUR STATUS AND THIS PROCESS NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED. A CLR; LINEAR DECISION TREE SHOULD BE IN PLACE FOR THESE KINDS OF INCIDENTS IF WE ARE TO BE A WORLDWIDE AIRLINE. A BETTER DECISION TREE IS NECESSARY TO HAVE ALL THE PLAYERS INVOLVED IN SUCH AN INCIDENT; IE; CDC; LCL HEALTH AUTHS; AND THE LCL EMT/FIRE RESPONSE TEAM. ONE CALL TO DISPATCH SHOULD BE ALL THAT IS NECESSARY TO REMOVE THE PLTS FROM ATTEMPTING TO OBTAIN THIS INFO INFLT. WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ATTEMPTING TO FIND OUT IF WE NEEDED TO BE QUARANTINED AND THE POSSIBLE HEALTH EFFECTS TO THE CREW. I FEEL THAT WE SHOULD HAVE TOLD DISPATCH THE NECESSARY INFO AND THEN FLOWN THE ACFT TO THE ARPT; KNOWING THE PROCESS WAS IN FULL GEAR. THE CREW CALLED AGAIN AND AGAIN TO SEE WHAT WE NEEDED AND WERE TOLD CONFLICTING STORIES AS WE TAXIED TO THE GATE. ALL WORKED OUT WELL AS THE PAX WAS REMOVED AND THE ACFT DISINFECTED. FURTHER HEALTH ISSUES TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS REMAIN TO BE SEEN.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.