The Carle-Illinois (Urbana, Illinois USA) Treatment Protocol for Law Enforcement K9s: Guidelines for Emergency Medical Services

• Published in: Prehospital and disaster medicine Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 428 - 437
• Main Authors: Mitek, Ashley E., McMichael, Maureen A., Weir, William B., Smith, Michael J., Schneider, Danielle C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, USA Cambridge University Press 01-08-2019; Jems Publishing Company, Inc
• Subjects: Ambulance services; Animals; Blood pressure; Dogs - injuries; Electrocardiography; Emergency medical care; Emergency medical services; Emergency Medical Services - standards; Emergency services; Guidelines as Topic; Health services; Health technology assessment; Hospitals; Hospitals, Animal - statistics & numerical data; Humans; Illinois; Law Enforcement; Mortality; Narcotics; Special Report; Transportation - legislation & jurisprudence; Trauma; United States; Veterinarians; Veterinary medicine; Vital signs; Wounds and Injuries - therapy; United States; Illinois; United States > US; working dog; police canine; treatment; police dog; LEK9; EMS; ambulance; IN: intranasal; IM: intramuscular; GDV: gastric dilatation and volvulus; LEK9: law enforcement K9; EKG: electrocardiogram; IV: intravenous; EMS: Emergency Medical Services; LMA: laryngeal mask airway
• ISSN: 1049-023X; 1945-1938
• DOI: 10.1017/S1049023X19004448

This document is a resource for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) treating an injured law enforcement K9 (LEK9) in the field and/or during transport by ambulance to a veterinary hospital. A Joint Task Force on Working Dog Care was created, which included veterinarians, EMS directors, EMS physicians, and canine handlers, who met to develop a treatment protocol for injured LEK9s. The protocol covers many major life-threatening injuries that LEK9s may sustain in the line of duty, and also discusses personnel safety and necessary equipment. This protocol may help train EMS providers to save the life of an injured LEK9.