Ill passenger aboard MD80 results in emergency declaration and return to departure airport.

Attributes
ACN	715672
Time
Date	200610
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz1.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	msl single value : 32000
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zzz.artcc
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	cruise : level
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	715672
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Events
Anomaly	cabin event : passenger illness
Independent Detector	other other : 2 cab. att
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Passenger Human Performance
Primary Problem	Passenger Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight attendants notified me of ill passenger and flight attendants were requesting medical assistance from passenger. Passenger displayed uncontrollable tremors. A radiologist; on board; was assisting in evaluating the passenger. About 8-10 mins after initial notification; dr was concerned about increases in respiratory and heart rate and recommended landing for medical care. We declared an emergency and turned back to ZZZ1. I asked the flight attendants to advise if the passenger condition deteriorated we would land at ZZZ2. Recovery to runway 35L and ZZZ1 was uneventful and taxied directly to gate where medical personnel boarded the aircraft. Doctor gave passenger an aspirin; she recovered sufficiently to walk off the aircraft. Aircraft was inspected for overweight landing (132000 pounds) and oxygen bottles replaced and flight continued to destination.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ILL PAX ABOARD MD80 RESULTS IN EMER DECLARATION AND RETURN TO DEP ARPT.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANTS NOTIFIED ME OF ILL PAX AND FLT ATTENDANTS WERE REQUESTING MEDICAL ASSISTANCE FROM PAX. PAX DISPLAYED UNCONTROLLABLE TREMORS. A RADIOLOGIST; ON BOARD; WAS ASSISTING IN EVALUATING THE PAX. ABOUT 8-10 MINS AFTER INITIAL NOTIFICATION; DR WAS CONCERNED ABOUT INCREASES IN RESPIRATORY AND HEART RATE AND RECOMMENDED LNDG FOR MEDICAL CARE. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND TURNED BACK TO ZZZ1. I ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO ADVISE IF THE PAX CONDITION DETERIORATED WE WOULD LAND AT ZZZ2. RECOVERY TO RWY 35L AND ZZZ1 WAS UNEVENTFUL AND TAXIED DIRECTLY TO GATE WHERE MEDICAL PERSONNEL BOARDED THE ACFT. DOCTOR GAVE PAX AN ASPIRIN; SHE RECOVERED SUFFICIENTLY TO WALK OFF THE ACFT. ACFT WAS INSPECTED FOR OVERWT LNDG (132000 LBS) AND OXYGEN BOTTLES REPLACED AND FLT CONTINUED TO DEST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.