People who work in hospitals: Medic Alert?

[Disney Ella]

I have asthma and just recently started having problems with ibuprofen. I can no longer take ibuprofen, aspirin, Aleve or any of the prescription or non-prescription NSAIDS or risk a severe reaction. My mother suggested that I wear a MedicAlert necklace. I'm not a jewelry wearer, but I would wear it if I thought it might help in an emergency. I am just wondering if NSAIDS would even be given to me if I was in an emergency and couldn't speak. I would think if I was seriously hurt, stronger drugs would be needed. I know this is probably a stupid question, but I was wondering what people who work in hospitals think.

 

[laurie31]

Hmmm...I have worked trauma for 7 years now, and I seriously can't recall us EVER giving a trauma patient an NSAID. Morphine, yes. Advil, no.

If you're hurt badly enough that you can't tell us you react badly to it, then you're too sick to take a pill anyway!

Also, there's someone on the trauma team actively searching for your family to first tell them you're here, and also to find out your medical history, if you're on any medications, and if you have any allergies. For example, we had a patient who wasn't responding to verbal commands. We suspected a serious brain injury until the family told us he was profoundly deaf. That bit of knowledge changed everything. Once we started signing to him, he understood us just fine.

I think if you have a life-threatening allergy to something, especially shellfish, you need a medic-alert bracelet, as well as people with diabetes, epilepsy, or other conditions where you could be unconscious and you need a specific kind of intervention to help you ASAP. I'm not sure you really need one though. I just can't imagine a circumstance where an unconscious or incoherant patient would be given anything by mouth. In fact, trauma patients aren't even allowed sips of water, in case they need surgery.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I would say it's a very remote possibility, but a possibility nonetheless. My last working shift I gave someone an IV NSAID in the setting of a certain type of [post procedural] chest pain.

I second a Medic Alert Bracelet (not necklace). Why chance it?

 

[Desiree]

I second a Medic Alert Bracelet (not necklace). Why chance it?

Just curious as to why you recommend braclet instead of necklace?

I'm also researching getting one as I'm permanently on blood thinners for Anti-Phosphid Antibody syndrome. And now I'm just trying to figure out which type/brand to get.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Most likely, emergency response personnel are more likely to look for the bracelet than an necklace - less invasive and, probably, more common form. Just guessing.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Most likely, emergency response personnel are more likely to look for the bracelet than an necklace - less invasive and, probably, more common form. Just guessing.

Yes. They've been around a long time and I think they're probably more noticable, at least initially.

 

[snarlingcoyote]

Besides, the bracelets can look like jewelry. BFF's complements her charm bracelet and is quite lovely.

 

[Disney Ella]

Thanks for the info. It has certainly helped to get some perspective from people who actually work in a hospital.

 

[Chelley00]

Just curious as to why you recommend braclet instead of necklace?

I'm also researching getting one as I'm permanently on blood thinners for Anti-Phosphid Antibody syndrome. And now I'm just trying to figure out which type/brand to get.

I'm an APS girl too!!!!



I got a bracelet from Laurenshope.com They do pretty beaded bracelets instead of the metal links so it looks a little nicer. My rheumatologist said bracelets are unversal and medical personnel are trained to look for them, and that the necklace might only get noticed by accident.

 

[Desiree]

I'm an APS girl too!!!!



I got a bracelet from Laurenshope.com They do pretty beaded bracelets instead of the metal links so it looks a little nicer. My rheumatologist said bracelets are unversal and medical personnel are trained to look for them, and that the necklace might only get noticed by accident.

Wow no way! There aren't too many of us around that I've noticed! I'll be sending you a pm shortly. I hope you are well. I'm going to check that link out! Thanks!

 

[Tamarak]

My husband has APS - very rare I hear of others having it as well !


He wears a Sport band from american medical ID thats very comfortable and very visable if it was ever needed in an emergency

 

[SueM in MN]

I'm an APS girl too!!!!



I got a bracelet from Laurenshope.com They do pretty beaded bracelets instead of the metal links so it looks a little nicer. My rheumatologist said bracelets are unversal and medical personnel are trained to look for them, and that the necklace might only get noticed by accident.

My husband has APS - very rare I hear of others having it as well !


He wears a Sport band from american medical ID thats very comfortable and very visable if it was ever needed in an emergency

One thing to be aware of - the ones from MedicAlert are not just a bracelet, they have a 24 hour a day phone number that can be called in an emergency to actually get information about you - for example, the medications you are on, your contact information, doctors to contact, etc.

If you are unconscious, a medical bracelet that looks too pretty might not get noticed (depending on how much it looks like 'regular' jewelry and not like a medical alert bracelet.
Also, it will be helpful, for example for emergency personnel to know you have diabetes, but they won't know anything more about you than that unless you actually have a MedicAlert bracelet linked to more information about you.
And, MedicAlert actually has many styles of bracelets, including these beaded ones.
So, as an RN, I would encourage people to get a MedicAlert bracelet instead of one of the 'generic' ones.

 

[Chelley00]

My bracelet from Lauren's Hope looks like a MedAlert bracelet, but just the "strap" part is beaded instead of links. All my information: name, phone number and medications are listed on the back.

 

[Poppinsme]

Have worked ERs for over 21 years.
We always look for medical bracelets and it has saved lives.
Bracelets are best I think as we don't always look at necklaces and some
times they get ripped off when we intubate.

 

[dcentity2000]

I'm on a medication regime that makes me dangerously susceptible to various foods and drugs, so I wear a medic alert bracelet. Why not?



Rich::

 

[momof1princess]

i wear a medic-alert bracelet. one of the plain, ugly chain-link ones. i was told that emergency personnel may not notice it if it looks like a regular bracelet.

 

[KPeveler]

i cant wear a bracelet... do the nurses/drs here think that a necklace would still be a good idea if i cant wear a bracelet?

my hands and wrists dislocate (i wear several different braces for wrists/arms/hands/fingers), and i have extremely sensitive skin and sensory problems, so i cant do a bracelet (i tried and it either hurt me or i didnt wear it)

i was thinking about getting necklace dogtags with a phone number - my meds change all the time and i am yet undiagnosed on spine problems, so...

I guess i am not quite sure how to get the info i need with me... i am on seizure meds, which i know ER docs are supposed to know... and i have several chronic problems...

So, sorry to hijack the thread, but if a person DOES get a bracelet/necklace, what should we get on it?

 

[disfan07]

I have 2 medicalert bracelets. One that lists health problems and allergies and one that lists medications (not everything fit on one)
On my 1st one it lists:
Asthma
Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia
Low IgA
Eczema
PCOS
Allergies: Peanuts (epipen), eggs, lanolin, parabens, ceclor

On the 2nd one it has:
Medications: methotrexate, xoponex, symbicort, cardizem, folic acid, biotin, xyzal, atarax

Both have my name on them
and than I have a card in my wallet that came with the bracelet that lists all of my doctors (7 in total), emergency contacts, and my address and phone number

We ordered from American Medical ID.com....thats what all my doctors recommended. Mine are silver bracelets with a charm that has the universal medic symbol. I was told to make sure you get one with the medic symbol on it so its easily identified.

I was also told by the paramedics once that they are trained to look for medic alert bracelets and to look in wallets for emergency cards that go along with them. They said most look for necklaces but not all do and if you dont have a medic alert bracelet, they may not look in your wallet right away.

So from my experience with paramedics and ER visits, I would advise medic alert bracelet and the card in your wallet. But for the PP that cant wear a bracelet, defintiely get the necklace with the card in your wallet.....its better than nothign and most likley they will notice it

 

[minkydog]

Hmmm...I have worked trauma for 7 years now, and I seriously can't recall us EVER giving a trauma patient an NSAID. Morphine, yes. Advil, no.

If you're hurt badly enough that you can't tell us you react badly to it, then you're too sick to take a pill anyway!

Also, there's someone on the trauma team actively searching for your family to first tell them you're here, and also to find out your medical history, if you're on any medications, and if you have any allergies. For example, we had a patient who wasn't responding to verbal commands. We suspected a serious brain injury until the family told us he was profoundly deaf. That bit of knowledge changed everything. Once we started signing to him, he understood us just fine.

I think if you have a life-threatening allergy to something, especially shellfish, you need a medic-alert bracelet, as well as people with diabetes, epilepsy, or other conditions where you could be unconscious and you need a specific kind of intervention to help you ASAP. I'm not sure you really need one though. I just can't imagine a circumstance where an unconscious or incoherant patient would be given anything by mouth. In fact, trauma patients aren't even allowed sips of water, in case they need surgery.

I will back this up. I've been a nurse for 32 years and I've never given Advil, Aleve, Naproxen, etc to any patient that wasn't fully alert and able to tell me they were allergic. If you think you might somehow forget to tell them, then sure, get a medic alert bracelet for backup. I'm severely allergic to Advil too, so I don't take ANY NSAIDS. But I figure if I'm disabled so badly that I can't tell them that, then I'm probably not going to be getting Advil in the ER.

 

[minkydog]

I have 2 medicalert bracelets. One that lists health problems and allergies and one that lists medications (not everything fit on one)
On my 1st one it lists:
Asthma
Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia
Low IgA
Eczema
PCOS
Allergies: Peanuts (epipen), eggs, lanolin, parabens, ceclor

On the 2nd one it has:
Medications: methotrexate, xoponex, symbicort, cardizem, folic acid, biotin, xyzal, atarax

Both have my name on them
and than I have a card in my wallet that came with the bracelet that lists all of my doctors (7 in total), emergency contacts, and my address and phone number

I have allergies to 13 drugs and 2 foods, and I'm diabetic. I have entered all that info plus my contacts, into my cell phone, in the ICE area. My DH has a very complicated history and he wears a medic alert necklace. He keeps his history on his laptop and keeps it updated regularly. It has all his 23 drugs, allergies, doctors and a synopsis of his medical history. It takes up a full sheet of paper which he folds and keeps in his wallet. That piece of paper has saved my bacon a couple times when he had to be rushed to the hospital, confused and half concious--you know, you can't remember anything when your DH is circling the drain!

All this talk about medic alert bracelets makes me think, I need to update Christian's. He's our severely mentally handicapped, fast-moving 14yo. We bought him a necklace with our name and phone number on it, on the chance that he might get away from us(he has run away from us a few times and run away from school twice!) Christian has developed allergies to penicillin and cephalexin, both first line drugs. So we need to update his necklace.

I just got a bracelet for my mom after an incident during a blood transfusion at the outpatient treatment center. She's allergic to latex(and a few other things.) She told the nurse she was allergic and she saw the nurse write it down. They transferred her to another dept to receive her blood transfusion. Somebody dropped the ball somewhere because the nurses didn't get the message. Mother is elderly and she trusted that they were doing all the right things. Short story is, they didn't use latex-free anything and when the nurse found out the mistake she was very upset--they would have done the blood transfusion in the hospital in a "safe" room rather than doing it in this center. Grrrr...So now she has a bracelet that says Allergic to Latex & Penicillin, and Diabetes.