Narrative:

5 mins after takeoff, I was called by business class flight attendants to a passenger with severe chest pain. 3 doctors quickly responded to the subsequent page for medical assistance. As all passenger involved were foreign, I acted as the interpreter to keep the crew advised of the situation. The medical kit was retrieved, blood pressure checked and nitroglycerin administered by a doctor. Hoping the condition was stabilized, we resumed the meal service. About 30 mins later the passenger was complaining of severe abdominal pain. One of the doctors then administered some of his personal medication for the pain. After that failed to work, the 3 doctors discussed his condition and determined that they could not make a diagnosis, that the patient's condition was worsening and that continuing to dallas would jeopardize his life. The enhanced medical kit was used to administer an iv after we moved the patient to a first class seat. He continued to appear in severe pain. His medical history included surgery to correct an abdominal aortic aneurysm 8 yrs previous. The doctors concluded that he may be experiencing another of the same. It was not until I let the cockpit crew know that an iv was administered that they seemed to take the event seriously. They very grudgingly decided to land in anc to remove the patient. At the time that decision was made, we were still 3 1/2 hours from anc. The flight was met by paramedics, patient and wife released, refueled and continued to dfw without incident. The patient had a long scar vertically across his abdomen from his previous surgery. It was troubling that, although I kept the cockpit crew informed of unfolding events, they kept insisting that they did not want to land. Medications added to the iv were diazepam and valium. Patient's heart rhythm was monitored using the aed. Oxygen was administered via the oxygen walkaround.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT ATTENDANT RPT, B777, OSAKA-DALLAS, MEDICAL EMER DECLARED, DIVERT TO ANC FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. PAX REMOVED. FLT CONTINUED.

Narrative: 5 MINS AFTER TKOF, I WAS CALLED BY BUSINESS CLASS FLT ATTENDANTS TO A PAX WITH SEVERE CHEST PAIN. 3 DOCTORS QUICKLY RESPONDED TO THE SUBSEQUENT PAGE FOR MEDICAL ASSISTANCE. AS ALL PAX INVOLVED WERE FOREIGN, I ACTED AS THE INTERPRETER TO KEEP THE CREW ADVISED OF THE SIT. THE MEDICAL KIT WAS RETRIEVED, BLOOD PRESSURE CHKED AND NITROGLYCERIN ADMINISTERED BY A DOCTOR. HOPING THE CONDITION WAS STABILIZED, WE RESUMED THE MEAL SVC. ABOUT 30 MINS LATER THE PAX WAS COMPLAINING OF SEVERE ABDOMINAL PAIN. ONE OF THE DOCTORS THEN ADMINISTERED SOME OF HIS PERSONAL MEDICATION FOR THE PAIN. AFTER THAT FAILED TO WORK, THE 3 DOCTORS DISCUSSED HIS CONDITION AND DETERMINED THAT THEY COULD NOT MAKE A DIAGNOSIS, THAT THE PATIENT'S CONDITION WAS WORSENING AND THAT CONTINUING TO DALLAS WOULD JEOPARDIZE HIS LIFE. THE ENHANCED MEDICAL KIT WAS USED TO ADMINISTER AN IV AFTER WE MOVED THE PATIENT TO A FIRST CLASS SEAT. HE CONTINUED TO APPEAR IN SEVERE PAIN. HIS MEDICAL HISTORY INCLUDED SURGERY TO CORRECT AN ABDOMINAL AORTIC ANEURYSM 8 YRS PREVIOUS. THE DOCTORS CONCLUDED THAT HE MAY BE EXPERIENCING ANOTHER OF THE SAME. IT WAS NOT UNTIL I LET THE COCKPIT CREW KNOW THAT AN IV WAS ADMINISTERED THAT THEY SEEMED TO TAKE THE EVENT SERIOUSLY. THEY VERY GRUDGINGLY DECIDED TO LAND IN ANC TO REMOVE THE PATIENT. AT THE TIME THAT DECISION WAS MADE, WE WERE STILL 3 1/2 HRS FROM ANC. THE FLT WAS MET BY PARAMEDICS, PATIENT AND WIFE RELEASED, REFUELED AND CONTINUED TO DFW WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE PATIENT HAD A LONG SCAR VERTLY ACROSS HIS ABDOMEN FROM HIS PREVIOUS SURGERY. IT WAS TROUBLING THAT, ALTHOUGH I KEPT THE COCKPIT CREW INFORMED OF UNFOLDING EVENTS, THEY KEPT INSISTING THAT THEY DID NOT WANT TO LAND. MEDICATIONS ADDED TO THE IV WERE DIAZEPAM AND VALIUM. PATIENT'S HEART RHYTHM WAS MONITORED USING THE AED. OXYGEN WAS ADMINISTERED VIA THE OXYGEN WALKAROUND.

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.