Narrative:

At cruise altitude approximately 140 NM south of the fai airport, the flight attendants informed us of a female passenger who was experiencing a severe seizure. Our flight crew was aware of the presence of approximately 10-12 firefighters onboard the flight, and a PA was made requesting medical assistance which was quickly responded to by several of the paramedics. I declared a medical emergency, and requested and received clearance direct to the fai airport and maximum forward speed. First officer informed fai operations of our condition and requested and received a patch through to dispatch and medlink. Subsequent information from the cabin stated that the 30 something yr old female passenger was traveling alone, was deaf, and may have had a history of seizures. Upon boarding in anc, I was in the forward galley greeting passenger when this passenger boarded. She stopped at the aircraft door and appeared confused and lethargic. We asked her if she needed assistance and she replied with hand motions and mouthing that she was deaf. We offered her assistance in finding her seat, and contributed her condition to confusion. We had some difficulty in communicating with medlink via our patch, but were requested to provide further information on the passenger condition and vital signs. This information was difficult to obtain due to the passenger condition and difficulty in communicating. The information we received on her condition indicated a serious life threatening condition. At this point I elected to have the flight attendants screen and then admit 1 paramedic into the flight deck to assist us in relaying the requested information to medlink. This particular aircraft had deactivated seat back phones. The female paramedic was in the flight deck approximately 5 mins to assist in relaying medical information, and then returned to the cabin. The flight deck was secured before, during and after her admittance. Paramedics met the aircraft upon arrival in fai, and the passenger was xported to the waiting ambulance. After debriefing the crew and submitting a form, I reviewed the manual and read the revision which stated the flight deck door should only be opened in-flight in event of injury or illness to a flight crew member. This is an unintentional non compliance of this policy. I would encourage the company to accelerate the installation of a communication device in the cabin to assist in the sharing of information between cabin resources and medlink.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MEDICAL EMER DECLARED BY PIC OF ACR FLT WHEN 1 PAX HAS A SEIZURE. CAPT ALLOWS A FIREFIGHTER INTO COCKPIT TO ASSIST IN COORD WITH MEDICAL AID GROUP IN FAI, AK.

Narrative: AT CRUISE ALT APPROX 140 NM S OF THE FAI ARPT, THE FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMED US OF A FEMALE PAX WHO WAS EXPERIENCING A SEVERE SEIZURE. OUR FLC WAS AWARE OF THE PRESENCE OF APPROX 10-12 FIREFIGHTERS ONBOARD THE FLT, AND A PA WAS MADE REQUESTING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE WHICH WAS QUICKLY RESPONDED TO BY SEVERAL OF THE PARAMEDICS. I DECLARED A MEDICAL EMER, AND REQUESTED AND RECEIVED CLRNC DIRECT TO THE FAI ARPT AND MAX FORWARD SPD. FO INFORMED FAI OPS OF OUR CONDITION AND REQUESTED AND RECEIVED A PATCH THROUGH TO DISPATCH AND MEDLINK. SUBSEQUENT INFO FROM THE CABIN STATED THAT THE 30 SOMETHING YR OLD FEMALE PAX WAS TRAVELING ALONE, WAS DEAF, AND MAY HAVE HAD A HISTORY OF SEIZURES. UPON BOARDING IN ANC, I WAS IN THE FORWARD GALLEY GREETING PAX WHEN THIS PAX BOARDED. SHE STOPPED AT THE ACFT DOOR AND APPEARED CONFUSED AND LETHARGIC. WE ASKED HER IF SHE NEEDED ASSISTANCE AND SHE REPLIED WITH HAND MOTIONS AND MOUTHING THAT SHE WAS DEAF. WE OFFERED HER ASSISTANCE IN FINDING HER SEAT, AND CONTRIBUTED HER CONDITION TO CONFUSION. WE HAD SOME DIFFICULTY IN COMMUNICATING WITH MEDLINK VIA OUR PATCH, BUT WERE REQUESTED TO PROVIDE FURTHER INFO ON THE PAX CONDITION AND VITAL SIGNS. THIS INFO WAS DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN DUE TO THE PAX CONDITION AND DIFFICULTY IN COMMUNICATING. THE INFO WE RECEIVED ON HER CONDITION INDICATED A SERIOUS LIFE THREATENING CONDITION. AT THIS POINT I ELECTED TO HAVE THE FLT ATTENDANTS SCREEN AND THEN ADMIT 1 PARAMEDIC INTO THE FLT DECK TO ASSIST US IN RELAYING THE REQUESTED INFO TO MEDLINK. THIS PARTICULAR ACFT HAD DEACTIVATED SEAT BACK PHONES. THE FEMALE PARAMEDIC WAS IN THE FLT DECK APPROX 5 MINS TO ASSIST IN RELAYING MEDICAL INFO, AND THEN RETURNED TO THE CABIN. THE FLT DECK WAS SECURED BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER HER ADMITTANCE. PARAMEDICS MET THE ACFT UPON ARR IN FAI, AND THE PAX WAS XPORTED TO THE WAITING AMBULANCE. AFTER DEBRIEFING THE CREW AND SUBMITTING A FORM, I REVIEWED THE MANUAL AND READ THE REVISION WHICH STATED THE FLT DECK DOOR SHOULD ONLY BE OPENED INFLT IN EVENT OF INJURY OR ILLNESS TO A FLC MEMBER. THIS IS AN UNINTENTIONAL NON COMPLIANCE OF THIS POLICY. I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE COMPANY TO ACCELERATE THE INSTALLATION OF A COM DEVICE IN THE CABIN TO ASSIST IN THE SHARING OF INFO BTWN CABIN RESOURCES AND MEDLINK.

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.