Medical Alert Data

[ccrawford]

Several months ago, some of the members were talking about the medical alert bracelets/necklaces, and I think they even convinced Ross to buy one. I started thinking about this a couple of days ago and realized we probably ignored the most important part of the discussion. Here's the scenario: you are found by medical personnel unconsious and your significant other is nowhere to be found. Hopefully, you have carefully thought about what to include in your medical alert data card which is in your purse or your billfold. What data have you included to help protect yourself ?

 

[RCB]

Keep short and concise

Keep short and concise

1. short heart history
2. Meds-list warfarin first
3. Allergies
4. dr's name and tel. number
hospital's name and tel. number
5. Who to call in emergency and number

 

[ccrawford]

RCB - I agree, brevity is nice if you can afford it. On the other hand, given all the discussions we have had on other threads about the need to provide bridge therapy when invasive procedures are done, and prophylaxis before certain other procedures (i.e. dental) I think I may opt for a more detailed description even if it makes my billfold thicker than it already is. To add to your list, I would be sure to include my meds dosage rate, my family doctor, my cardiologist (with phone numbers), a description of the fact that I have a history of throwing clots and should therefore be assured of receiving bridge therapy with Lovenox or Heparin. I would also include my mechanical valve type, mfg. and serial number. I'm guessing we have a number of members who don't even have a medical alert list prepared. Those of you who do, please don't be bashful, give us an example of how you have done this so we can all learn. Chris

 

[Harpoon]

I don't have the MedicAlert bracelet yet (kinda procrastinating) however I do have a self-made card in my wallet:

Big red letters that say, "ATTENTION MEDICAL PERSONNEL"
My name, address, DOB
Transposition of the Great Vessels
Artificial tricuspid valve implanted March, 2003, see card for details (I have a card from St. Jude Medical for that)
All my meds, starting with coumadin (includes dosage and when I take them, morning or night)
Doctors to contact, "CALL CARDIOLOGIST FIRST FOR HEART RELATED EMERGENCIES" leading with my cardiologist, then heart surgeon and Cleveland Clinic numbers, then wife, then father.

Also lists my blood type, height, weight, no known allergies.


That's a lot of imformation to read through, but I don't think I could take anything off of it, everything on there is important. I have three phone numbers listed for my wife, home, work and cell which she usually carries when she's not at home. She's easier to get ahold of than my father who's the other person I list to contact in an emergency.


I'd recommend having two contacts like that, just to be sure.

 

[Granbonny]

I wear a gold bracelet that has never been off my arm in 2 years..Name and says Takes Coumadin.......They should know to start anything that looks like I'm bleeding too much...Take care of that first. Then on the ride to hospital ..they could look thru my purse for other information. Surely, they would know the sound of a clicking in my heart...to know I have a mech. valve. Bonnie

 

[Ross]

Mine is pretty much the same as RCB's. Now that I think about it, I wonder if I should ad the fact that a living will is on file. I do not want to be kept alive on machines.

 

[ccrawford]

Great - now we're getting some interesting posts. I figure the more comments we have, the better the data sheets our members can do. Maybe I should have called this thread "Sex and your medical data"

 

[ccrawford]

Just read the little brochure that came with my medical alert tag. For a small fee, you can send it off for engraving, but limited to 5 lines of 18 characters each. Hmmmm. How bout :

See wallet card !
Coumadin user - has
mech. heart valve
requires Heparin
bridge therapy.

Any body beat this ???

 

[MarkU]

Just read the little brochure that came with my medical alert tag. For a small fee, you can send it off for engraving, but limited to 5 lines of 18 characters each. Hmmmm. How bout :

See wallet card !
Coumadin user - has
mech. heart valve
requires Heparin
bridge therapy.

Any body beat this ???

Mine says:

"Aortic Valve Replaced
Takes Coumadin
Allergic to Penicillin"

 

[Nancy]

Joe has a gold filled Medic Alert medallion with quite a bit of info on it. He also has the wallet card from Medic Alert. And taped to that wallet card I have made a list of all of his medications and dosages, and drugs that he has had a bad reaction to and doctor contact names, and my name and phone. I printed this up in a small font so I could attach it. Most hospitals will have a copier that enlarges.

In addition to all of that, in his wallet and also in mine, we have a one page list of his medical history from his childhood with dates, how long he was hospitalized, where he was hospitalized, who the doctor was and the result of each hospitalization, plus other significant medical problems. And we also have a full page list of the above mentioned medications list.

These have come in handy more than I would have wanted.

 

[Ross]

Great - now we're getting some interesting posts. I figure the more comments we have, the better the data sheets our members can do. Maybe I should have called this thread "Sex and your medical data"

Are you telling me you want the title edited?

 

[bvdr]

I wear a little gold medic alert heart on a neck chain. All it says is:

Warfarin
Mechanical
Mitral Valve

I have more detailed information on a card in my wallet. I hope no-one ever has to use it but its there just in case. Even my grandson knows to tell someone to read my necklace if I have an emergency.

 

[SJJ]

Shortly after my surgery I contacted MedicAlert and for $35 received a medic alert bracelet, and wallet card. On the bracelet is my member ID #,AORTIC VALVE REPLACED, TAKES COUMADIN and CALL IMMEDIATELY followed by CALL COLLECT and the phone number. When emergency personnel call that number, they are supplied with my cardio's name and number, my husband's name, home number and cell number, my name, date of birth, email address, the date of my St. Jude Aortic Valve placement and the # of my specific valve, my medications and allergies. In other words, it's as comprehensive as you need it to be. What's nice is that I can call at any time to change the information(unlimited free updates) so everything is always current. Granted, the bracelet is ugly(stainless steel) and as soon as my incision is no longer an issue I will replace it with a gold necklace and charm with the same information. If anyone is interested, they may contact MedicAlert at www.medicalert.org or 1-800-432-5378. Other services are available as well such as travel insurance for medical transport etc at very reasonable rates.
Sue









3

 

[medtronic of borg]

med cards

med cards

Ross,
Re; how thick your wallet would be. It really shouldn't! My card has a lot of information on it using "standard" med abreviations. If you or others would like e-mail me or any of the nuses on here and we can convert it for you. This way the information is both detailed and brief.

 

[ericaj]

file of life card w/

file of life card w/

Here is what mine includes,

a file of life card w/laminated mini ekg printout
the heart card w/name of doctor, heart history/diagnosis and prophlaxis recc.
card w/meds written on,
id card w/all personal info
drs. bus. card.
(mine does need a quite a bit of updating but still useful as is)

havent ever checked into a med alert tag asi don't take coumadin just digoxin, cardizem and toprol -

i think i will go see what i can do for updating the info though. take care all,

erica

 

[fyrfytr]

Mine has my name, and than says,
Heart Patient
Aortic Valve Replacement
Taking Coumadin

Ross,
There are a few states that will not except a Living Will without having DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) papers included with the Living Will. Colorado is one of those states.

Take Care

 

[Harpoon]

Not all abbreviations are readily identified by emergency personnel, especially if they're volunteer firefighters or police...

If I say, TGV, Mustard, Mech Triscupid Valve they might not "get" it...

Besides the clicking, my heart's gonna sound "wierd" to the untrained ear. Most folks don't recognize the baffle/shunt sound in my heart and call it a murmor instead. That sound is SUPPOSED to be there, if it's not, I'm in trouble.

Same with the click.


Although, in saying all that, then lising a cardiologist's phone number, odds are they'll know enough to know they don't know JACK SQUAT and will call that number on your card or bracelet or whatever to learn something new for the day. =)


Oh, and the first clue that something just ain't right about you should be the big scar running from your collarbone down to the end of your sternum... If they miss that one, they flunk the exam.

 

[bvdr]

Harpoon,

I've thought about the sternal scar as being a tip-off that there is a cardiac history in a patient. I know emergency personnel arn't as likely to immediately connect scars from some of the less conventional approaches such as are used in minimally invasive or right/left thoracotomies to heart history. I think it is important that all of us wear some kind of ID to point caregivers in the right direction. You are so right that abbreviations for less common conditions such as TGV might draw a blank and might not be as helpful as we would hope. Having your cardiologist's phone number on you is extremely valuable.

I notice in my last hospital records that many of the nurses noted that my heart had a "crisp click". I think someone clued them in on how my new valve was supposed to sound.

 

[medtronic of borg]

Emts

Emts

If a EMT find such a card he/she is most likely going to read it over the radio to the nurses and Dr's weather they understand it or not. As I am also an EMT I am explaining what we do in this state. If it is a EMT-P they know. The EMT-A may not "understand it all but they know how to read it.

Med

 

[Granbonny]

Questions???

Questions???

If I am riding in a car with several other women..and we are all unconscious How would they know..whose purse belongs to who? They would see that I have my bracelet on..saying. Takes Coumadin....I worry more and take extra care..when I walk down the steps in early mornings to take dog for a walk. If I fell and tripped and hit my head. I would lay there..because Hubby is a late sleeper. If I am away from hubby..during the day I have my cell=phone...but, if I needed help..Fall, ect. would call my son ..a policeman who always answers his..right away. Hubby has selective hearing and almost never answers his cell phone or home phone..so son would be able to tell people..Take her to Gainesville and I'll find my Dad...Hubby and I always travel in car..other than my running to grocery store, ect...10 miles away. I would never travel alone more than that...Guess you male valvers do it more than us females....Bonnie