Narrative:

While in-flight at FL350, the senior flight attendant advised that a passenger was experiencing severe eye pain and might require immediate attention. I advised flight attendant that we were approximately 1 1/2 hours from our destination. After consultation with a nurse on board, the flight attendant advised that immediate medical attention was necessary. The first officer and I determined the nearest airport time wise, declared a medical emergency, and requested clearance accordingly. Arrival was normal. Paramedics were waiting, and the passenger and accompanying passenger were deplaned. Additional information: passenger was an elderly woman who had recently had eye surgery. In retrospect, I wish I had leveled at FL180, with the cabin at sea level, and checked passenger condition, before declaring an emergency. It is possible that her pain was a result of change in pressurization.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEDICAL EMER DECLARED FOR PAX BEHAVIOR ILLNESS PHYSICAL DISCOMFORT. DIVERSION TO ALTERNATE ARPT MADE.

Narrative: WHILE INFLT AT FL350, THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED THAT A PAX WAS EXPERIENCING SEVERE EYE PAIN AND MIGHT REQUIRE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION. I ADVISED FLT ATTENDANT THAT WE WERE APPROX 1 1/2 HRS FROM OUR DEST. AFTER CONSULTATION WITH A NURSE ON BOARD, THE FLT ATTENDANT ADVISED THAT IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTN WAS NECESSARY. THE FO AND I DETERMINED THE NEAREST ARPT TIME WISE, DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER, AND REQUESTED CLRNC ACCORDINGLY. ARR WAS NORMAL. PARAMEDICS WERE WAITING, AND THE PAX AND ACCOMPANYING PAX WERE DEPLANED. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: PAX WAS AN ELDERLY WOMAN WHO HAD RECENTLY HAD EYE SURGERY. IN RETROSPECT, I WISH I HAD LEVELED AT FL180, WITH THE CABIN AT SEA LEVEL, AND CHKED PAX CONDITION, BEFORE DECLARING AN EMER. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT HER PAIN WAS A RESULT OF CHANGE IN PRESSURIZATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.