Medical jewelry conveys vital information to emergency responders. However, incorrect information or any kind of ambiguity can subsequently lead to incorrect diagnoses and treatment.

Although the medical jewelry has been around since 1953, emergency staff and paramedics need to be prepared on how to read medical jewelry when attending a patient.

So, what are the essential things you need to put on a medical ID bracelet?

Important information to include

Because you have a limited area to add information, making it count is essential as you need to prioritize some details over the others.

Talk with your healthcare provider about whether you need a medical necklace. If yes, then consider the following things and sort them in accordance of urgency.

Medical conditions

Add chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes, cardiac issues, epilepsy, or any other health problem that requires immediate addressing. Moreover, also consider certain conditions that may render you unable to correspond with paramedics.

Be sure to include any acute allergies such as nut allergies, and whether you have an EpiPen on your person.

Medications

If you have hemophilia or other blood-thinning conditions, list it at the top of the life alert bracelet to indicate that certain medications should not be used. The same case goes for any allergies to medications or medications with a lot of contraindications.

Blood type

If you’re suffering from any kind of blood disorder, or have an accident that results in significant blood loss, having your blood type on a medical necklace or bracelet could prove to be the difference between life and death.

Communication issues

If you’re have any disorders or disabilities that hamper your ability to communicate freely, you should add that in your bracelet to avoid any kind of confusions in communication settings.

For example, if you are mute, deaf, or both, you may want to add that so that people will acknowledge why you’re not responding.

Do not resuscitate (DNR) instructions

If you’ve a medical order written by a doctor instructing healthcare providers or emergency staff not to provide you CPR in case you stop breathing, you should have it written on your life alert bracelet.

Emergency contacts

Add the emergency contact numbers of those you wish to be contacted in dire situations. This information will be useful for bystanders or emergency services.

What to Do if There’s Not Enough Space

One of the main concerns for people wanting to add plenty of relevant information to their medical jewelry is not having enough space. This is where abbreviations come into play.

Medical professionals use a number of abbreviations for different conditions, disorders, and ailments to accommodate space and provide context as quickly as possible.

Follow some of the common abbreviations to fit more details in your medical ID tag.

• ALGY or ALGYS for Allergy
• DNR for Do not resuscitate
• HBP for High blood pressure
• EpiPen or EPI for Epinephrine
• AD for Alzheimer’s disease
• AH, AHA and AHB for Acquired hemophilia, Acquired hemophilia A, Acquired hemophilia B
• ICE for In case of emergency
• PCN for Penicillin
• AOS for Apraxia of speech
• T1D or T2D for Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 diabetes

Most medical ID jewelry can last years with proper care. However, ensure to replace your medical jewelry quickly if there are changes in your medical conditions that need to be displayed.

By: Natural Health News

The post 8 Essential Things to Put on Your Medical ID Bracelet appeared first on Natural Health News.