What should be included in the incident report regarding medical issues raised by a subject during arrest?

• A. Document any medical issues raised and the steps taken to address them
• B. Delete any medical complaints to avoid delays
• C. Only note if the medical issue results in injury
• D. Record care only after the subject is released

Answer: (A)

Documenting medical issues raised during an arrest and the response is essential. It ensures the subject’s health is monitored and provides a clear, auditable trail of what was reported, what was observed, and what actions were taken. When a subject brings up a medical concern, record the exact issue, the time reported, any symptoms described, and who observed them. Note the steps taken to address it—first aid provided, how the concern was evaluated, whether EMS was called, and the disposition of care (on-site treatment, transport to a medical facility, or release). This level of documentation supports safety, medical decision-making, and accountability for both the subject and the responding team. Deleting medical complaints is never appropriate. You should not restrict documentation to cases where an injury occurred; medical concerns can be serious even without physical injury. Waiting to record care until after release can miss critical care decisions and legal requirements. So, the best practice is to include the medical issues raised and the steps taken to address them.