This is for all you paramedics and other first-response type emergency medical people. Do you normally check for medic-alert type bracelets? What about necklaces? Is one better than the other? (Better in that you check the wrist or neck first or one tends to stay on children better)
And what the heck is the deal with these? A USB storage device holding your child’s medical information? “Wait Charlie, let us check this USB device before we administer first aid, perhaps the child has a medical condition of which we are unaware, where’s the laptop? Ok… Nope, just Pokemon tm, carry on”.
Or am I being overly cynical again?
Mods, this may be requesting opinions but I placed it here in the hope that there is an answer. My feelings wouldn’t be hurt if it gets moved.
IANAParemedic, but as a parent, I’d view the USB device as more useful for doctors than emergency response teams. Emergency response isn’t likely to give things that are commonly allergenic, like antibiotics, but doctors are. An EMT is concerned with basic things like “Is she breathing and is her heart beating?”, not so much “What anesthetic did she react to when she was 4?” It would be nice if the USB device could be plugged in and sent over the ether to the hospital on the way, or read as the kid was wheeled in, but I have no idea if it works that way yet.
If my kid was off at camp, I might consider such a thing, but it sure wouldn’t replace giving the camp accurate and complete information on the medical information card I fill out every year.
And if my kid hacked Pokemon into a medical device, I’d kill him.
We do check for med alert bracelets and necklaces. In fact, it’s part of the practical exams you’re given to get certification - they’ll put bracelets/necklaces & such on fake patients and see if you find them.
Personally, I think bracelets are better because I’m likely to find them sooner as I’m checking your pulse. Either one should be found though in an examination of a patient.
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And what the heck is the deal with these? A USB storage device holding your child’s medical information? “Wait Charlie, let us check this USB device before we administer first aid, perhaps the child has a medical condition of which we are unaware, where’s the laptop? Ok… Nope, just Pokemon tm, carry on”.
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That might be something they check at the hospital, but it’s not something I’m likely to do.
On the other hand, I’m a wilderness EMT, and don’t usually have an ambulance and a laptop handy. Maybe an urban EMT/Paramedic can come by an weigh in on this.
FYI, (at least in Wisconsin) food workers are not allowed to wear rings (including wedding rings, but plain bands with no stones are allowed) or bracelets. This includes medical bracelets. If this law stays in place, I’d imagine necklaces will be come more common, at least in kitchen settings, as well as tattoos on the arm where the bracelet would be.
I’m a type II diabetic and dont’ have an alert bracelet or necklace. However, I do have a card in my wallet (first card you see when it’s opened) with the Medic Alert symbol, my conditions, and a list of my medications, as well as emergency contact information. Would the EMTs suggest this be supplimented with a bracelet?
Yes, and we’ve been trained to do this for many years now. Back in the early 1990s, I was training volunteer ski patrollers to look for medical id bracelets.
The USB thingie is more useful for doctors/caregivers who have access to a computer, but it’s still a good idea. The more info you can provide, the better. A pre-existing medical condition (allergy, diabetes, epilepsy, and so forth) could prevent you from giving vital information to a responder in an emergency.
By the way, I also recommend Road ID, especially for skiers, bicyclists, runners, and other outdoor athletes who could face an emergency when they’re not carrying ID.
I have one, and I’m thinking of getting another with a special code on it that would link you into a secure part of my personal web page. I figure web access is pretty common these days.
I recall an EMT study from a few years back that the bracelets were “found” almost 100% of the time by EMT’s in some random study. The necklaces were found something like 66% of the time. Even when checking an unresponsive person (with no obvious trauma) EMT’s are somewhat reluctant to go rooting around the boobies for jewelry. Can’t say as I blame them for being cautious.
No cite on the study, just remember it being discussed at the station house one day.
As others have said, we do check for medical alert tags. On unconscious patients they’re invaluable, as we often have little or no other information about the patient.
Allergy information is also very important for EMS, contrary to what wevets said. As the paramedic scope of practice continues to expand, we’re carrying more and more meds on the ambulance. While this doesn’t and likely won’t include antibiotics, many services carry multiple pain meds and some carry rapid-sequence intubation meds, similar or identical to what are used in the hospital. So, if you/ your child is allergic to any meds (esp. pain meds like fentanyl, morphine, or demerol) a medic alert braclet would be very helpful. We want to be able to treat their pain appropriately.
I’ve not seen the USB storage devices before. We’re in the process of getting laptops on the ambulance, but we don’t have them yet. If the storage devices are compatible, I’m sure we’d use them. It’d be really nice if we could import the info right into our PCR. The downside would be the large majority of ambulance services do not utilize laptops.
Just ordered one of these after seeing your post. This is a great idea - now I can toss the laminated “in case of emergency” card I normally carry when I’m biking or running or walking the dogs.
If I’m ever Found On Road Dead, at least my husband will be notified.
Solo hiker here, I’m getting a new set of dog tags.
Assuming you guys find me before I start looking like Otzi the Iceman, what info should be on my ID, and more importantly what info is completely useless to you?
(From the Road ID site, “Zip Codes are not necessary. Why? Zip Codes are typically used for “mailing” purposes only. First responders and medical personnel will not need to know how to mail you a letter.”
“you can easily omit your Address - it’s just not that important. Why? In the event of an accident, your Name and Emergency Phone Numbers are going to supply the first responders with the majority of the information they need. If, for some reason, the authorities need to locate your home address, they will be able to easily find it with your Name, City and State - all of which should be on your ID”)
As far as I’m concerned, if I can get your name, date of birth, major medical history, and drug allergies, I’ll be a happy camper. If you’re unconscious, I’m not going to be calling anyone, but an emergency contact will probably be helpful to the hospital.
Just as an aside, I swim laps in a public pool most mornings. It occurred to me that if anything happened to me while swimming, no one would know who I was, let alone any of my medical information/ emergency contacts (my wallet, etc are stowed in a locker). So I wrote my basic info on one of those silicone Livestrong-type bracelets with a Sharpie and wear it in the pool. I think it’s pretty noticeable in case of emergency, and I feel more secure.
Definitely bracelet. Wallet located ID isn’t the best for these reasons-it isn’t going to be seen on an initial patient survey, and if your appearance suggests possible injury to the spinal column, we aren’t going to be rolling you over to fetch your billfold. Wallets and purses are investigated either if you’re deemed to be DRT or after you’ve arrived at the ER.
On a sort of related note, I write my name and cellphone number on my little one with a Sharpie when we go to a street fair, circus or similar event where she might get cut off from my line of sight by a crowd. Did the same with my son until recently - in case he was unconscious and couldn’t give security my number. (Now he has a cellphone with MOM programmed in.) It’s never been needed, thank Og, but you hear stories every year about kids found at The Taste of Chicago without their parents in sight.
Thanks everyone. My son needs a new one and we were trying to decide which would be best. Per your advice, I think we’ll include his name with the allergies St. Urho, why DOB? I’ve no problem including it, just wondering.
Littlebob
1/1/01
Peanut Allergy
Sufficient? I would assume that a paramedic could recognize anaphalecs… anafa… anaphilect… anaphylaxis and treat with epinephrine?
I notice the bracelets more than the necklaces. People tend to ‘hide’ the necklaces inside shirts for some reason. As wevets said, it was part of our training, and was a part of the practical final exam. If you didn’t physically check for a medic alert bracelet or necklace, you got dinged.
I haven’t seen them, either, and our ambos are also not equipped with laptops. The way the budget is right now… well, fat chance of getting them anytime soon. You’d want to make sure everything was compatible, and all the info was updated.
The DOB is nice to have, so you know exactly how old the kid is. There are different treatment protocals, depending on the age of the child. Here in Maryland, things are done differently for kids under a year, under 4, under 8 and over 12.
Putting the allergy is also good, so the medics know exactly what he is apparently reacting to.
