A319
Flight Attendant Current
Training / Qualification; Physiological - Other; Human-Machine Interface
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Flight Deck / Cabin / Aircraft Event Illness / Injury
Human Factors; Aircraft
When providing care for an elderly passenger who was having a seizure and after vomiting; the licensed medical personnel said to administer a POB (Portable Oxygen Bottle) after she finished vomiting and was lying on her side. The issue arose when trying to open and administer the new POBs that I believe are on the new A319 aircraft. Underneath the knob to open the flow of oxygen is a thick metal wire hasp that is very finely and tightly braided. It is braided so tight that anyone with their fingernails cannot open them! I tried using the MRT to pry it open to unbraid the hasp then to unscrew the flow valve to give it to her; but it took nearly 20 minutes to unbraid the first POB and it BENT the MRT! Then after giving the passenger the POB she started to get more color in her face and was feeling better until the first POB's oxygen ran out. When trying to open the next POB it took nearly another 20 minutes to pry this tight wire hasp open and it almost cost the woman her life because she started feeling ill again in the time between POB bottles. I believe there used to be a circular handle connecting the wire hasps that (in many of the other emergency equipment) makes it easy to open the equipment. I strongly suggest considering the safety of the passengers to start getting these handles added to the wire hasps on the POBs or the next ill passenger may not be so fortunate. It was very scary to not be able to open these bottles at the time as each moment was so pivotal in this woman going in and out of consciousness. Add circular (small coin shaped) wire hasp handle (as seen on the hasp of the First Aid Kit) to easily unbraid the wire hasps on the POBs -Issue a must read memo to prepare flight attendants.  Until hasps are corrected- provide pliers in the cabin to use to open the current new POBs.
A Flight Attendant reported that the safety wires preventing inadvertent emptying of portable oxygen bottles are her airline's new aircraft are nearly impossible to remove without mechanical assistance.