What to Engrave on Your Medical ID or Medical Alert Bracelet
Purpose of a Medical ID
Aside from any aesthetic aspects the man goal you are trying to achieve to clearly communicate specific medical of allergic conditions to the paramedics or EMT’s as quickly as possible.
That way you can receive proper treatment right away even if you are in a state of unselfconscious when help arrives. As the saying goes :
The medical ID speaks for you when you are unable to speak.
Final Authority is Your Medical Professional
These following guidelines will get you started, but your doctor should be the one that makes the final recommendation for the language that will be engraved on your medical id.
Key Points
There are four pieces of information that generally need to be engraved on a medical id alert bracelet:
- diagnosis or condition,
- allergies (if any),
- patient’s name,
- emergency contact.
optional:
patient’s address (in case of dementia)
social security number
Should You Provide Personal Information?
Most people prefer not to have their personal information engraved at all. But if the medical id provides room for a 2 sided engraving some will have their name and emergency contact engraved on the back.
See Other Side
If you have a medical alert bracelet that is engraved on both sides; it might be a good idea to add ” See Other Side ” so the paramedics are not going to miss some vital informations. On the other side this probably isn’t necessary in case of a pendant or any similar medical ID that can be easily viewed from both sides.
Emergency Contact
Keep in mind when you are listing an emergency contact that this person is actually willing and able to respond to the call if necessary. That would exclude people who travel frequently or won’t answer the phone if they don’t recognize the caller id.
Common Medical Abbreviations
In order to save room a number of standard medical abbreviations exists that are almost universally accepted.
Some will have upper and lower case letters on purpose. Another way of providing as much information as possible is to leave out words that are not really necessary. i.e. instead of saying ” taking coumadin ” just use ” coumadin “. The same holds true for allergies – just use the word ” no ” followed by the food or drug you are allergic to.
Abdabdomen/abdominal A-fibatrial fibrillation AAAabdominal aortic aneurysm ACLSAdvanced Cardiac Life Support ADright ear AEDautomated external defibrillator AIDSacquired immunodeficiency syndrome AKAabove knee amputation ALSAdvanced Life Support AMIacute myocardial infarction ampampule antanterior ARDSadult respiratory distress syndrome ASleft ear ASAaspirin ASAPas soon as possible ASHDarteriosclerotic heart disease AUboth ears AVatrioventricular axaxillary B /bilbilateral bidtwice daily BKAbelow knee amputation BLSbasic life support BPblood pressure C-cathcardiac catheterization CAcancer CABGcoronary artery bypass graft CADcoronary artery disease CHFcongestive heart failure COcarbon monoxide CO2carbon dioxide COPDchronic obstructive pulmonary disease CPRcardiopulmonary resuscitation CRFchronic renal failure CVcardiovascular CXRchest x-ray D/Cdiscontinue d/s or d/stickdextrose stick D50WDextrose 50% in water D5WDextrose 5% in water decubdecubitus ulcer defibdefibrillate / defibrillation DKAdiabetic ketoacidosis DMdiabetes mellitus DNRdo not resuscitate DTsdelirium tremens DVTdeep vein thrombosis Dx/diagdiagnosis EpiEpinephrine EpiPenepinephrine pen ETendotracheal ETTendotracheal tube FAforearm FBforeign body Feiron flexflexion |
ftfoot Fxfracture G-tubegastrostomy tube GCgonococcus GEgastroesophageal GERDgastroesophageal reflux disease GIgastrointestinal GUgenitourinary Gyngynecology H20water H202hydrogen peroxide HBVHepatitis B Virus HCO3bicarbonate Hcthematocrit Hgbhemoglobin HIVHuman Immunodeficiency Virus HTNhypertension Hxhistory IDDMInsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus IFindex finger IMintramuscular infinferior IOintraosseous irregirregular irrigirrigation IVintravenous J-tubejejunostomy tube jtjoint JVDjugular vein distension KVOkeep vein open Lleft lat laterallglarge lidolidocaine liqliquid LLLleft lower lobe LLQleft lower quadrant LSlumbosacral LULleft upper lobe LUQleft upper quadrant LVleft ventricle LVHleft ventricular hypertrophy lyteselectrolytes m – meter Maxmaximum mcgmicrogram medsmedications Mgmagnesium mgmilligram MImyocardial infarction Modmoderate MRIMagnetic Resonance Imaging MRSAmethicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus MRSEmethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermis MSmultiple sclerosis MSmorphine sulfate MVPmitral valve prolapsed NAnot applicable Nasodium |
NAHCO3sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3sodium bicarbonate NCnasal cannula NGnasogastric NHnursing home NIDDMnon-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitis NKAno known allergies NKDAno known drug allergies Noallergic to nponothing by mouth NSRnormal sinus rhythm NTGnitroglycerin O2oxygen OBSorganic brain syndrome ODright eye OSleft eye OUboth eyes poby mouth PACpremature atrial contraction PATparoxysmal atrial tachycardia postposterior prnwhenever necessary PSVTparoxismal supraventricular tachycardia PUDpeptic ulcer disease Pulm Edpulmonary edema PVCpremature ventricular contraction qevery qhevery hour qidfour times daily Rright regregular resprespiration RLLright lower lobe RLQright lower quadrant RMLright middle lobe RULright upper lobe RUQright upper quadrant smsmall SpO2percent oxygen saturation spontspontaneous SVTsupraventricular tachycardia tabtablet TBtuberculosis TCNtetracycline tidthree times a day TKOto keep open TMJtemporo mandibilar joint trachtracheal/tracheostomy tspteaspoon Txtreatment UGIupper gastrointestinal UHFultra-high frequency URIupper respiratory infection UTIurinary tract infection V-fibventricular fibrillation ventventilator VHFvery-high frequency VTV tach ventricular tachycardia |
Comments on this entry are closed.