Narrative:

While I was on break, passenger had an epileptic seizure. Her husband indicated that she had a history of seizures and she was attended to by a medical doctor. She had a second seizure and was laid out with seat belt extensions used to 'strap' her down with pillows in the area between lavatories. I returned from my rest and got up to speed and sent a report to dispatch, passing along the request (from the patient and the medical doctor) that no medical support meet the flight. Dispatch had been sending rather ominous reports of CAT in the last 1000 mi of the flight, including the descent so I let the purser know that I expected the passenger to be moved into a seat prior to top of descent. This was met with resistance by the husband and the flight attendants voiced this hesitance to move her to a seat. Not knowing the quality of the 'strapping' which held her to the floor, and unable to send a pilot to inspect it due to the forecast turbulence and 1 hour remaining in the flight, I stressed that the passenger had to be in a seat for the descent and landing. I offered that if she needed to be horizontal that we ask for a volunteer in first class or business, to switch seats for the descent (it was a full flight). After the flight the purser, who did a great job of communicating with us and handling the situation, said that at ret (recurrent training) she was told that once a passenger is on the floor, it is fine to leave them there, this is news to me. If a passenger is conscious do we have a policy of allowing them to recline on the floor to make them more comfortable? I talked with the flight attendant who did the securing of the passenger with the seat belts and it sounds as if she had a good design using the lavatory doors to secure one side of the belts on each side of the patient.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 PAX EXPERIENCED A SEIZURE, WAS STRAPPED TO THE FLOOR AND TREATED BY MEDICAL PERSONNEL. THE CREW WANTED HER IN A SEAT FOR DSCNT BECAUSE OF TURB, BUT MET WITH RESISTANCE.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS ON BREAK, PAX HAD AN EPILEPTIC SEIZURE. HER HUSBAND INDICATED THAT SHE HAD A HISTORY OF SEIZURES AND SHE WAS ATTENDED TO BY A MEDICAL DOCTOR. SHE HAD A SECOND SEIZURE AND WAS LAID OUT WITH SEAT BELT EXTENSIONS USED TO 'STRAP' HER DOWN WITH PILLOWS IN THE AREA BTWN LAVATORIES. I RETURNED FROM MY REST AND GOT UP TO SPD AND SENT A RPT TO DISPATCH, PASSING ALONG THE REQUEST (FROM THE PATIENT AND THE MEDICAL DOCTOR) THAT NO MEDICAL SUPPORT MEET THE FLT. DISPATCH HAD BEEN SENDING RATHER OMINOUS RPTS OF CAT IN THE LAST 1000 MI OF THE FLT, INCLUDING THE DSCNT SO I LET THE PURSER KNOW THAT I EXPECTED THE PAX TO BE MOVED INTO A SEAT PRIOR TO TOP OF DSCNT. THIS WAS MET WITH RESISTANCE BY THE HUSBAND AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS VOICED THIS HESITANCE TO MOVE HER TO A SEAT. NOT KNOWING THE QUALITY OF THE 'STRAPPING' WHICH HELD HER TO THE FLOOR, AND UNABLE TO SEND A PLT TO INSPECT IT DUE TO THE FORECAST TURB AND 1 HR REMAINING IN THE FLT, I STRESSED THAT THE PAX HAD TO BE IN A SEAT FOR THE DSCNT AND LNDG. I OFFERED THAT IF SHE NEEDED TO BE HORIZ THAT WE ASK FOR A VOLUNTEER IN FIRST CLASS OR BUSINESS, TO SWITCH SEATS FOR THE DSCNT (IT WAS A FULL FLT). AFTER THE FLT THE PURSER, WHO DID A GREAT JOB OF COMMUNICATING WITH US AND HANDLING THE SIT, SAID THAT AT RET (RECURRENT TRAINING) SHE WAS TOLD THAT ONCE A PAX IS ON THE FLOOR, IT IS FINE TO LEAVE THEM THERE, THIS IS NEWS TO ME. IF A PAX IS CONSCIOUS DO WE HAVE A POLICY OF ALLOWING THEM TO RECLINE ON THE FLOOR TO MAKE THEM MORE COMFORTABLE? I TALKED WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT WHO DID THE SECURING OF THE PAX WITH THE SEAT BELTS AND IT SOUNDS AS IF SHE HAD A GOOD DESIGN USING THE LAVATORY DOORS TO SECURE ONE SIDE OF THE BELTS ON EACH SIDE OF THE PATIENT.

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.