MEDICAL ID'S from the EMS point of view

MEDICAL ID JEWELRY: If you're going to get it, make it do it's job! If I could share something with you, prior to ordering any ID jewelry or cards, please think about what might be important info and what isn't. As a Paramedic speaking from experience in the emergency field, I would like to say something about the medical ID's. Jewelry that looks like a medical emblem or tag will be found the quickest by emergency persons, wallet cards might be found later, we don't usually start digging through purses & wallets when we get to an ill or injured person! EMS persons do surveys on your body. We minimally & discretely undress people when needed, we look for scars, bruises, marks, all kinds of things. We are medical detectives, we take your blood for sampling, test your oxygen levels and test your heart when we can. We USUALLY know more about you than you know about yourself by the time we're done with you!! The information that will be the most important to saving your life will be: 1. ALLERGIES TO MEDICATIONS - SO IMPORTANT!! 2. MEDICATIONS YOU ARE CURRENTLY TAKING 3. IMPORTANT MEDICAL HISTORY, YOU CAN INCLUDE WLS HERE 4. YOUR NAME & FAMILY CONTACT INFO 5. YOUR PHYSICIAN & CONTACT INFO Obviously, everything can't be put onto your jewelry so you might want to put the most important info there and keep everything else in your purse or wallet. You can refer to your wallet card on the jewelry. IMPORTANT !!! >>>>> Always tell your family or friends the above information about yourself incase you can't talk and they are called upon. Make sure they know your doctors info as well as your medical info. Ok, you might get upset here but, these are things that ARE NOT, ARE NOT, ARE NOT needed on your jewelry: Blind NG tubes - Nasogastric (NG) tubes are placed blindly. In most places, there isn't another way to do this procedure outside of the hospital and if you need it, it will be done but ONLY IN AN EMERGENCY. It is a tube that is measured on the outside of your body and inserted into your nose, down to your stomach. They are usually used by EMS for stomach pumping to get out toxins. In the hospital, you can tell them about your surgery or they will have asked your history and take precautions. IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON A NG TUBE, YOUR LIFE COMES FIRST. Blind Intubations (ETT) - First off, you are probably unconscious if the Paramedics are entubating you. The tracheal entubations are usually done with a scope unless there is a reason that your vocal cords can not be seen and than it is blindly inserted but will be checked to make sure it isn't in your esophagus prior to inflation. If an ETT has to be inserted blindly, you really need it bad and you aren't conscious anyway! IT WILL BE YOUR AIRWAY, YOU CAN'T STOP US unless you have a DNR ... WITH YOU!! Well, I feel better, thank you. (This info is also on my OH blog) Please visit my blog/website here on OH ~ Just click on my name right under my cow ~ "Web Medic"

I read your posting before on this subject and ordered one immediately for my husband who has congestive heart disease. In the process of ordering one for myself. Since my husband has numerous health problems this could save his life if something should happen. Great info- Pam

Web Medic, Are you at all familiar with the American Ambulance Association?

I am familiar with the American Ambulance Association. Are you a member of it also?

No. But I thought you might be as you were a medic. Mark Meijer is chairmen of the board on the AAA and is CEO of Life Ambulance in Michigan. I was going to tell you if you knew who he was that I worked for him for 3 years. I've worked for companies that the CEO won't even speak to you. Mark made a point to come by each morning and speak to each of us. He was really awesome to work for, and very generous. Anyways. Just thought it would be interesting if you knew who he was.

he also used to be president of the AAA I don't know if he still is. He might just be chairmen of the board now.

So what you are saying is that I shouldn't take a bottle of pills and think you are going to be able to pump my stomach? LOL. Just kidding. I did get that card saying not to do a blind tube from my doctor. What exactly happens with the tubing now that we have had the surgery? Do things get torn or something with the new stomach?

Actually, I think they are meaning that card to stand as a warning to ER staff so they don't stick a tube down into your pouch and poke it right through the stoma at the other end or through the pouch itself or even through the intestine at the other end. You can watch on a monitor as you put an NG or any G tube down in the hospital and the tubes they use are way more invasive than the field tubes! In the field, if you had a stomach full of pills and wouldn't work with me on vomiting, I would get orders from the hospital to drop a NG tube down your nose just into your stomach but if they refused the order than they could do it by monitor when you got into the emergency room. Time would be the main factor for everything here, what you took, how long ago and what it's base was. I KNOW you wouldn't do that, this is just a conversation piece.

I am still debating on getting a bracelet. I have the card from my surgeon that says I had gastric bypass and the neccessary information on it, its located right behind my driver's license. I also keep my PCP's and Bariatric surgeons business card in my wallet, so if anything were to happen the ER or Paramedics may figure out who to contact. Would they do that when locating your wallet? But if your wallet is missing and I don't carry my wallet in my pocket, there would need to be something on the body to get that information... I think I just talked myself into getting one! There was a website that sold nice bracelets, it was actually one of the topics of discussion at the last support group. I think it was laurenshope.com or something similar.

I keep a card in my wallet but I could never get all this info on a bracelet. They dont make them that big. Just my allergies I would run out of room. Hope they check my wallet. I struggled to get it small enough to fit in my wallet. Thanks for the wonderful advice. If you can do it, its a great idea. Moira