Narrative:

We departed ZZZ en route to ZZZ1 on a scheduled air carrier flight. Shortly after takeoff the flight attendants called us from the cabin and informed us we had a woman passenger experiencing difficulty breathing. The crew had her on oxygen and had made a PA asking for a medical professional for assistance. We continued on the departure and I flew and communicated with ATC while the captain talked to the flight attendants and dispatch as well as operations. I could write a lengthy narrative on all this drama; but in the end the decision was made to declare a medical emergency and return to ZZZ. By the time this conclusion was reached; we were up at FL350 and had just gotten handed off to ZZZ1 center. Due to our heavy fuel load; we would be overweight for landing and we decided a return to ZZZ would be the best course of action due to the 12000 ft runway and cooler temperature at the field. We also could take advantage of some fuel burn off and an 11 KT headwind on runway xxl as well. We were closer to ZZZ2 or ZZZ3; but the inland temperatures at the airports were all in the triple digits. Since we would be overweight for landing; we were concerned about melting fuse plugs if we went to a high/hot airport. ATC was just outstanding through all this. They gave us priority handling and got us back to ZZZ very quickly. We completed our checklists and computed the landing distance for an overweight landing. Even though it was my leg; the captain took control of the aircraft for the approach/landing and made an uneventful touchdown on runway xxl. We computed our landing weight was 153.2 -- approximately 7000 pounds over maximum landing weight. After landing; we taxied to the gate where paramedics met the flight and we deplaned the ill passenger. We made a logbook entry for the overweight landing and maintenance completed the overweight landing inspection. After refueling and servicing the emergency equipment; we departed for an uneventful flight. In retrospect; I am pleased with the way everything worked out. The crew worked together and we received first class handling from ZZZ center; ZZZ approach; and ZZZ tower/ground. I feel we made a sound divert decision and we backed that up with our checklists and performance computations. The only criticism of our performance is that although we declared the medical emergency; we did not request the equipment to stand by for our overweight landing. We felt the landing on a 12000 ft runway with an 11 KT headwind at our weight was a non event; but the FAA might like to see the equipment standing by just as a precautionary measure. In the future; I would advocate requesting the equipment for any overweight landing on the ground that an aircraft limitation is being exceeded. In closing; I just can't say enough good things about the assistance provided by ATC. They were very busy (aren't they always these days?) but they stopped everything to listen to our requests and didn't complain at all. They really rolled out the red carpet to get us back to ZZZ without delay. Kudos to all for a job well done!

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 FLT CREW RETURNS TO DEP ARPT DUE TO PAX ILLNESS.

Narrative: WE DEPARTED ZZZ ENRTE TO ZZZ1 ON A SCHEDULED ACR FLT. SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CALLED US FROM THE CABIN AND INFORMED US WE HAD A WOMAN PAX EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY BREATHING. THE CREW HAD HER ON OXYGEN AND HAD MADE A PA ASKING FOR A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL FOR ASSISTANCE. WE CONTINUED ON THE DEP AND I FLEW AND COMMUNICATED WITH ATC WHILE THE CAPT TALKED TO THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND DISPATCH AS WELL AS OPS. I COULD WRITE A LENGTHY NARRATIVE ON ALL THIS DRAMA; BUT IN THE END THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DECLARE A MEDICAL EMER AND RETURN TO ZZZ. BY THE TIME THIS CONCLUSION WAS REACHED; WE WERE UP AT FL350 AND HAD JUST GOTTEN HANDED OFF TO ZZZ1 CTR. DUE TO OUR HVY FUEL LOAD; WE WOULD BE OVERWT FOR LNDG AND WE DECIDED A RETURN TO ZZZ WOULD BE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION DUE TO THE 12000 FT RWY AND COOLER TEMP AT THE FIELD. WE ALSO COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME FUEL BURN OFF AND AN 11 KT HEADWIND ON RWY XXL AS WELL. WE WERE CLOSER TO ZZZ2 OR ZZZ3; BUT THE INLAND TEMPS AT THE ARPTS WERE ALL IN THE TRIPLE DIGITS. SINCE WE WOULD BE OVERWT FOR LNDG; WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT MELTING FUSE PLUGS IF WE WENT TO A HIGH/HOT ARPT. ATC WAS JUST OUTSTANDING THROUGH ALL THIS. THEY GAVE US PRIORITY HANDLING AND GOT US BACK TO ZZZ VERY QUICKLY. WE COMPLETED OUR CHKLISTS AND COMPUTED THE LNDG DISTANCE FOR AN OVERWT LNDG. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS MY LEG; THE CAPT TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT FOR THE APCH/LNDG AND MADE AN UNEVENTFUL TOUCHDOWN ON RWY XXL. WE COMPUTED OUR LNDG WT WAS 153.2 -- APPROX 7000 LBS OVER MAX LNDG WT. AFTER LNDG; WE TAXIED TO THE GATE WHERE PARAMEDICS MET THE FLT AND WE DEPLANED THE ILL PAX. WE MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY FOR THE OVERWT LNDG AND MAINT COMPLETED THE OVERWT LNDG INSPECTION. AFTER REFUELING AND SVCING THE EMER EQUIP; WE DEPARTED FOR AN UNEVENTFUL FLT. IN RETROSPECT; I AM PLEASED WITH THE WAY EVERYTHING WORKED OUT. THE CREW WORKED TOGETHER AND WE RECEIVED FIRST CLASS HANDLING FROM ZZZ CTR; ZZZ APCH; AND ZZZ TWR/GND. I FEEL WE MADE A SOUND DIVERT DECISION AND WE BACKED THAT UP WITH OUR CHKLISTS AND PERFORMANCE COMPUTATIONS. THE ONLY CRITICISM OF OUR PERFORMANCE IS THAT ALTHOUGH WE DECLARED THE MEDICAL EMER; WE DID NOT REQUEST THE EQUIP TO STAND BY FOR OUR OVERWT LNDG. WE FELT THE LNDG ON A 12000 FT RWY WITH AN 11 KT HEADWIND AT OUR WT WAS A NON EVENT; BUT THE FAA MIGHT LIKE TO SEE THE EQUIP STANDING BY JUST AS A PRECAUTIONARY MEASURE. IN THE FUTURE; I WOULD ADVOCATE REQUESTING THE EQUIP FOR ANY OVERWT LNDG ON THE GND THAT AN ACFT LIMITATION IS BEING EXCEEDED. IN CLOSING; I JUST CAN'T SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY ATC. THEY WERE VERY BUSY (AREN'T THEY ALWAYS THESE DAYS?) BUT THEY STOPPED EVERYTHING TO LISTEN TO OUR REQUESTS AND DIDN'T COMPLAIN AT ALL. THEY REALLY ROLLED OUT THE RED CARPET TO GET US BACK TO ZZZ WITHOUT DELAY. KUDOS TO ALL FOR A JOB WELL DONE!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.