a. Communicate consistently with the canine handler or assigned escort. Explain care provided and request support required for canine management and positioning. Handler and canine should travel together whenever feasible to facilitate handling and comfort of the MWD.
b. Communicate with tactical leadership as soon as possible and as needed during the treatment process. Provide leadership with casualty status on a regular basis and evacuation requirements to assist with coordination of evacuation and dedication of on-site support assets. Include canine handler or escort in evacuation planning for casualty management.
c. Communicate with the established evacuation system for that specific locale to arrange TACEVAC. Provide mechanism of injury, injuries sustained, identified signs/symptoms, current status, and treatments/medications administered to medical providers on evacuation platform. Ensure receiving medical providers are aware of the need to have canine Handler or assigned escort accompany the casualty for management.
- K9TCCC recommends the use of S-MIST reporting for MWD casualties. The MIST report is not a formal part of the US Standard MEDVAC request. It is supplemental to a MEDEVAC request and should be sent as soon as possible, but should not delay the MEDEVAC mission. The MIST report is also a verbal exchange between the current provider and the next level of care. For example, when a ground medic hands a patient off to a flight medic, he gives the MIST report along with the TCCC/canine TCCC card.
- S-MIST is a simple yet thorough and efficient way to convey the salient details of a patient’s status. Stated another way, it is a succinct format to communicate the status and treatment performed so the next Role of care knows what they need to know for immediate treatment.
- S-MIST Report:
- S- Stable or Unstable
- M – Mechanism of Injury: A brief description of the MOI and time of injury (if known).
- I – Injury or Illness: A brief description of the injuries sustained starting with the most serious first. Highlight life-threatening injuries.
- S – Symptoms and Vital Signs: A – Airway Status, B – Breathing Rate, C – Pulse Rate, D – Conscious/Unconscious, E – Other signs
- T – Treatment given: Treatments rendered, medications given.