MD-S80 FLC RETURNED TO LAND FOR ILL PAX.

Date: 2002-09 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model

Anomalies: flight-deck-cabin-aircraft-event-illness-injury

Synopsis

MD-S80 FLC RETURNED TO LAND FOR ILL PAX.

Narrative

FLT ATTENDANT #2 AND I WERE PULLING BEVERAGE CART UP THE AISLE TO START BEVERAGE SVC. PAX X GOT OUT OF SEAT. I THOUGHT SHE WAS GETTING UP TO GO TO THE BATHROOM. SHE JUST KEPT STANDING IN THE AISLE FOR A COUPLE OF MINS; BUT DIDN'T MAKE HER WAY TO ANY OF THE LAVATORIES. I STOPPED PULLING CART AND WENT UP TO HER TO SEE IF SHE NEEDED ANY HELP. WHEN I LOOKED AT HER; SHE HAD HER EYES WIDE OPEN LIKE SHE WAS STARTLED. A FEW SECONDS LATER; SHE COLLAPSED TO THE FLOOR. PAX Y TALKED TO HER; BUT SHE DIDN'T RESPOND TOO MUCH. WE PILED BLANKETS AND PILLOWS BEHIND HER TO SUPPORT HER. PAX Y KEPT TALKING TO HER AND REASSURING HER. HER COLORING WAS VERY PALE. SHE WAS CLAMMY AND SWEATING. WE GOT OXYGEN AND STARTED HER ON IT. PAX Y WAS AN RN AND HELPED US THROUGHOUT THE SIT. SHE CONSTANTLY TALKED TO AND REASSURED ILL PAX. WE GOT STETHOSCOPE AND BLOOD PRESSURE CUFF FOR HER TO USE. SHE TOOK BLOOD PRESSURE AND SAID IT WAS HIGH; 139/115. CAPT RETURNED US TO ATL TO HAVE PARAMEDICS MEET FLT AND TAKE CARE OF HER. RN FELT SHE PROBABLY HAD A STROKE. AFTER BEING ON OXYGEN FOR A LITTLE WHILE; HER COLOR STARTED GETTING BETTER. WE PUT COLD; WET CLOTHS ON HER FOREHEAD TO HELP COOL HER OFF A BIT. WE ALSO TURNED ALL THE AIR VENTS TOWARDS HER TO HELP COOL HER DOWN. WHEN WE WERE TOLD BY CAPT THAT WE WERE ABOUT 20 MINS OUT; WE SWITCHED OXYGEN TO BE SURE WE DIDN'T RUN OUT BEFORE GETTING TO GATE AREA. WE LEFT HER IN THE AISLE LAYING BACK ON THE PILLOWS AND BLANKETS. RN FELT IT WAS BETTER NOT TO MOVE HER AND THAT IT WAS THE MOST COMFORTABLE POS FOR THE ILL PAX. RN CHKED TO SEE IF SHE WAS DIABETIC OR HAD ANY MEDICAL PROBS. EVERYTHING THAT SHE FOUND OUT FROM EITHER MEDICATION OR PAX WAS THAT SHE HAD ARTHRITIS. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO ATL; PARAMEDICS MET FLT AND TOOK HER OFF TO CARE FOR HER.

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