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Home > Archive > Emergency services > July 2005 > Medical alert bracelets
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Medical alert bracelets
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| waidoan@hotmail.com 2005-07-05, 5:55 pm |
| I have a daughter who is allergic to penicillin. She would like to get
a medical alert link for her charm bracelet. I'm curious as to the
protocol for looking for Medic Alert bracelets and other medical alert
jewelry. Is a link on a charm bracelet likely to be as effective as
other forms? Is it something that is likely to be overlooked, or is the
standard protocol to examine all bracelets, watch bands, etc. to the
extent that every link is seen? If it is standard protocol, does real
world experience show anything I should consider?
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| Carey Gregory 2005-07-05, 5:55 pm |
| waidoan@hotmail.com wrote:
>I have a daughter who is allergic to penicillin. She would like to get
>a medical alert link for her charm bracelet. I'm curious as to the
>protocol for looking for Medic Alert bracelets and other medical alert
>jewelry. Is a link on a charm bracelet likely to be as effective as
>other forms? Is it something that is likely to be overlooked, or is the
>standard protocol to examine all bracelets, watch bands, etc. to the
>extent that every link is seen? If it is standard protocol, does real
>world experience show anything I should consider?
It will very likely be overlooked on a charm bracelet.
And I question the value of having a medic alert tag for a penicillin
allergy. Antibiotics are very unlikely to be given in an emergency, and
especially not penicillin.
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| danny burstein 2005-07-05, 5:55 pm |
| In <r80mc1hjt979phjf2uskvjfgodbos2lcli@4ax.com> Carey Gregory <tiredofspam123@comcast.net> writes:
>And I question the value of having a medic alert tag for a penicillin
>allergy. Antibiotics are very unlikely to be given in an emergency, and
>especially not penicillin.
otoh, 'twould be nice t know about it if the patient
is presenting with an anaphylactic reaction.
--
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dannyb@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
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| Carey Gregory 2005-07-06, 8:56 am |
| danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> wrote:
>In <r80mc1hjt979phjf2uskvjfgodbos2lcli@4ax.com> Carey Gregory <tiredofspam123@comcast.net> writes:
>
>
>otoh, 'twould be nice t know about it if the patient
>is presenting with an anaphylactic reaction.
Sure, but are you going to look at her charm bracelet or the hives and
swelling?
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| Carey Gregory wrote:
> danny burstein <dannyb@panix.com> wrote:
>
> <tiredofspam123@comcast.net> writes:
>
> Sure, but are you going to look at her charm bracelet or the hives and
> swelling?
lol
The biggest risk comes from the possibility of benzylpenicillin if she
shows signs of Meningitis. However, it is worth knowing of any
allergies whatever the illness or injury.
There are some nice bracelets out there, which still look like
medic-alert tags.
http://www.sja.org.uk/cambs/bge/mem..._alert_tags.htm
Hope this helps.
Wayne Badcock
Emergency Ambulance Attendant - UK
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| jaj001@iglou.com 2005-07-12, 11:11 pm |
| If you are in North America, try this link:
www.medicalert.org
They are the best and the membership is seen as medical insurance by
the IRS and therefor partially tax deductible.
jaj
On 5 Jul 2005 10:49:20 -0700, waidoan@hotmail.com wrote:
>I have a daughter who is allergic to penicillin. She would like to
get
>a medical alert link for her charm bracelet. I'm curious as to the
>protocol for looking for Medic Alert bracelets and other medical
alert
>jewelry. Is a link on a charm bracelet likely to be as effective as
>other forms? Is it something that is likely to be overlooked, or is
the
>standard protocol to examine all bracelets, watch bands, etc. to the
>extent that every link is seen? If it is standard protocol, does real
>world experience show anything I should consider?
| |
| Notan 2005-07-12, 11:11 pm |
| jaj001@iglou.com wrote:
>
> If you are in North America, try this link:
>
> www.medicalert.org
>
> They are the best and the membership is seen as medical insurance by
> the IRS and therefor partially tax deductible.
>
> <snip>
While I've seen, and dealt with, their bracelets, I'm not sure
that you can have anything you want (e.g., "Penicillin Allergy")
placed on them.
Anyone?
Notan
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| waidoan@hotmail.com 2005-07-12, 11:11 pm |
|
Notan wrote:
> jaj001@iglou.com wrote:
>
> While I've seen, and dealt with, their bracelets, I'm not sure
> that you can have anything you want (e.g., "Penicillin Allergy")
> placed on them.
>
> Anyone?
>
I know it can be done. I have the same allergy, and I've been told to
get one on several occasions. So has she, but I never thought it was
worth it. If nobody here has seen one like it, then I'm not the only
one to ignore the advice.
I wouldn't expect it to be given as the first line of treatment, and
given that it's not likely to be life threatening in her case, the
biggest risk would be if she were given it in a hospital, had a more
severe reaction than in the past, and needed a shot of adrenaline, or
whatever the protocol calls for. Even at that, unless both of her
parents get killed at the same time, somebody would tell the doctor
before it was given.
So I guess the bottom line is that if she gets one on a charm bracelet,
it will be virtually worthless. Except it could make some lawyer rich.
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| jaj001@iglou.com 2005-07-12, 11:11 pm |
|
I worked the streets years ago as a paramedic and thier bracelets and
support were fantastic. I would include the Medic Alert data in my
field to hospital radio report and Medic Alert would fax the data to
the hospital. The Medic Alert report would be there when we arrived
-- about 10-15 minutes after the radio report.
The way it worked then was two fold. First, the main page would be
faxed after the hospital called Medic Alert. Second, the hospital
would recieve data and usually a phone call from the patient's private
physician, who could have been almost anywhere.
Their bracelets are customized and can state whatever the primary
condition is.
jaj
On 12 Jul 2005 11:58:58 -0700, waidoan@hotmail.com wrote:
>
>
>Notan wrote:
by[vbcol=seagreen]
>
>I know it can be done. I have the same allergy, and I've been told
to
>get one on several occasions. So has she, but I never thought it was
>worth it. If nobody here has seen one like it, then I'm not the only
>one to ignore the advice.
>
>I wouldn't expect it to be given as the first line of treatment, and
>given that it's not likely to be life threatening in her case, the
>biggest risk would be if she were given it in a hospital, had a more
>severe reaction than in the past, and needed a shot of adrenaline, or
>whatever the protocol calls for. Even at that, unless both of her
>parents get killed at the same time, somebody would tell the doctor
>before it was given.
>
>So I guess the bottom line is that if she gets one on a charm
bracelet,
>it will be virtually worthless. Except it could make some lawyer
rich.
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