FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING AN S80 FLT TO DFW ON WHICH A PAX WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK. THE DOCTOR ASSISTING INDICTED THAT THE MEDICAL KIT WAS INADEQUATE TO SUCCESSFULLY HANDLE SUCH A SIT.

Date: 1999-03

Anomalies: other-unspecified

Synopsis

FLT ATTENDANT RPT REGARDING AN S80 FLT TO DFW ON WHICH A PAX WAS HAVING A HEART ATTACK. THE DOCTOR ASSISTING INDICTED THAT THE MEDICAL KIT WAS INADEQUATE TO SUCCESSFULLY HANDLE SUCH A SIT.

Narrative

PAX X WAS NOT FEELING WELL. WHILE I ASSISTED HIM; I NOTICED HIS COLOR WAS PALE; HE WAS SWEATING. I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY BREATHING. HE SAID; 'YES.' I ASKED IF HE WAS HAVING CHEST PAIN. HE SAID; 'YES.' HIS WIFE INITIALLY THOUGHT HE WAS HAVING AN ALLERGIC 'FOOD' REACTION. I PUT MR X ON OXYGEN; PAGED FOR A DOCTOR; AND NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT; AT WHICH TIME DOCTOR Y CAME FORWARD. HE ASKED FOR THE MEDICAL KIT AND TOLD ME IT WAS DEFINITELY HIS HEART. HE GAVE MR X NITRO; WHICH HELPED. AT THIS POINT I BROUGHT OUR CAPT UP-TO-DATE. BY THEN WE GOT DIRECT CLRNC INTO DFW (BY THIS TIME WE WERE ON DSCNT). MR X WAS GIVEN NITRO 3 TIMES BY LNDG. PARAMEDICS MET OUR FLT. DOCTOR ADVISED ME THAT OUR MEDICAL KITS ARE INADEQUATE FOR A DOCTOR TO SUCCESSFULLY HANDLE THESE SITS. I FEEL IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET TOGETHER WITH OUR COMPANY PHYSICIANS; WHO KNOW WHAT WE NEED INFLT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THAT THERE WAS FOLLOW-UP WITH THE COMPANY VIA A RPT. SHE HAS NOT HEARD WHAT WAS DONE BEYOND THAT. RPTR INDICATED THAT THE DOCTOR INDICATED HE HAD BEEN CALLED TO ASSIST ON AN OVERSEAS FLT AND THE KIT WAS INADEQUATE TO TRULY HELP THE PATIENT. IN THIS CASE THEY WERE CLOSE TO ARRIVING SO THE PATIENT MADE IT. RPTR WAS GIVEN THE HOTLINE NUMBER FOR FURTHER FOLLOW-UP.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.