7-18. CLASSIFICATION OF PATIENTS
Evacuation means alone do not assure successful aeromedical evacuation. The
personnel involved in processing patients are extremely important. The physician who
makes the diagnosis and determines if and when the patient will be moved, the nurse
who prepares the patient, the MSC officer who handles the administrative details, and
the medical specialists who handle the patient all contribute to efficient evacuation. The
physician who orders the evacuation must classify each patient and assign a
precedence category. Precedence will be discussed in paragraph 7-20. The
classification of a patient tells the medical crew how the patient must be handled.
Patients are classified in the following manner:
a. Class 1--Neuropsychiatric Patients.
(1) Class 1A - Severe psychiatric litter patients. Psychiatric patients
requiring the use of restraining apparatus, sedation, and close supervision at all times.
(2) Class 1B-- Psychiatric litter patients of intermediate severity.
Psychiatric patients requiring tranquilizing medication or sedation, not normally requiring
the use of restraining apparatus, but who react badly to air travel or who may commit
acts likely to endanger themselves or the safety of the aircraft. Restraining apparatus
should be available for use.
(3) Class lC--Psychiatric walking patients of moderate severity. Psychiatric
patients who are cooperative and who have proved reliable under observation.
b. Class 2--Litter Patients (Other than Psychiatric).
(1) Class 2A - Immobile litter patients. Patients unable to move about of
their own volition under any circumstances.
(2) Class 28--Mobile litter patients. Patients able to move about on their
own volition in an emergency.
c. Class 3--Walking Patients (other than psychiatric). Ambulatory patients
(other than psychiatric) who require medical treatment, care, assistance, or observation
en route.
d. Class 4--Troop Class. Walking patients, other than psychiatric, who require
no medical treatment during flight, are physically and emotionally able to travel
unattended, and do not require observation or custodial care.
7-19. SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PATIENT CLASSIFICATION
It is important that patients be either over-classified nor under-classified, since
their classification has a direct bearing on flight requirements.
MD0002
7-19