Narrative:

Passenger walked out of lavatory, urinated in pants, and grabbed seat back, hand shaking, on left side. I asked, 'ok?' passenger responded, 'no, I feel dizzy.' I immediately assisted him into the seat. He was rigid, unable to situation up straight, short of breath, eyes rolled back, foam from mouth -- all within 90 seconds. Flight attendant came with medical kit and opened kit. I called captain and paged for doctor on board and an ophthalmologist came to the back. Flight attendant started oxygen and doctor took pulse and blood pressure. Passenger went from unable to speak out, to by time aircraft landed and paramedics met the flight, more coherent and breathing had stabilized. Paramedics took the passenger and we left him in rochester, mn. We continued on to lax. This elderly passenger, with 2 types of cancer and emphysema, should not have been traveling alone. He should have definitely been on supplemental oxygen. However, we were not aware of his diagnosis/symptoms until the emergency. How to identify/notify company about passenger health. How could we be more informed of the medical condition of our passenger? Could the diversion (passenger safety) have been avoided. Passenger could have died. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states passenger had serious medical problems. Passenger had lost control of bodily functions prior to boarding the aircraft and after takeoff. Fortunately a doctor on board responded to the cabin attendant's call and assessed the passenger condition to be serious and in need of immediate medical attention.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT CRUISE ON BOARD B757, ELDERLY, ILL PAX REQUIRED EMER CARE CAUSING ACFT DIVERSION.

Narrative: PAX WALKED OUT OF LAVATORY, URINATED IN PANTS, AND GRABBED SEAT BACK, HAND SHAKING, ON L SIDE. I ASKED, 'OK?' PAX RESPONDED, 'NO, I FEEL DIZZY.' I IMMEDIATELY ASSISTED HIM INTO THE SEAT. HE WAS RIGID, UNABLE TO SIT UP STRAIGHT, SHORT OF BREATH, EYES ROLLED BACK, FOAM FROM MOUTH -- ALL WITHIN 90 SECONDS. FLT ATTENDANT CAME WITH MEDICAL KIT AND OPENED KIT. I CALLED CAPT AND PAGED FOR DOCTOR ON BOARD AND AN OPHTHALMOLOGIST CAME TO THE BACK. FLT ATTENDANT STARTED OXYGEN AND DOCTOR TOOK PULSE AND BLOOD PRESSURE. PAX WENT FROM UNABLE TO SPEAK OUT, TO BY TIME ACFT LANDED AND PARAMEDICS MET THE FLT, MORE COHERENT AND BREATHING HAD STABILIZED. PARAMEDICS TOOK THE PAX AND WE LEFT HIM IN ROCHESTER, MN. WE CONTINUED ON TO LAX. THIS ELDERLY PAX, WITH 2 TYPES OF CANCER AND EMPHYSEMA, SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN TRAVELING ALONE. HE SHOULD HAVE DEFINITELY BEEN ON SUPPLEMENTAL OXYGEN. HOWEVER, WE WERE NOT AWARE OF HIS DIAGNOSIS/SYMPTOMS UNTIL THE EMER. HOW TO IDENT/NOTIFY COMPANY ABOUT PAX HEALTH. HOW COULD WE BE MORE INFORMED OF THE MEDICAL CONDITION OF OUR PAX? COULD THE DIVERSION (PAX SAFETY) HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. PAX COULD HAVE DIED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES PAX HAD SERIOUS MEDICAL PROBS. PAX HAD LOST CTL OF BODILY FUNCTIONS PRIOR TO BOARDING THE ACFT AND AFTER TKOF. FORTUNATELY A DOCTOR ON BOARD RESPONDED TO THE CABIN ATTENDANT'S CALL AND ASSESSED THE PAX CONDITION TO BE SERIOUS AND IN NEED OF IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTN.

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.