Useless Information

[UM Review RN]

Question: In almost every wallet or car registration folder or purse that I've ever bought, there's a space for name, address, phone, emergency contact, allergies, and blood type?

Do you emergency people ever actually use that information????

(Especially the blood type thing.)

Is it useful to have emergency info in my wallet at all?

[bagladyrn, RN]

In my mom's area of FL they developed a program to relay information for seniors who may not be able to communicate the information in an emergency. It is a distinctive "pill bottle" containing a rolled sheet of paper with all essential medical info on it - allergies, medical conditions, meds taken, emergency contact, name of primary physician. They are instructed to keep this vial on the top shelf of the refrigerator door, with a sticker on the outside. This way all emergency personnel know (as they are part of the program) to grab this if the patient is unable to communicate.

I think this is very useful in an area where many have no local relatives.

[pagandeva2000, LPN]

After reading this, I believe it would be a good idea to at least have a bracelet that includes certain things that are of importance such as blood types, certain medications such as warfarin, aspirin, allergies and such in case one is unconscious.

[traveljen]

as far as blood type goes really doesn't matter. I work in the lab and you could have blood type written down but we don't care we still will type your blood. If there isn't time you will get O Neg.

[Altra, BSN, RN]

Agree with most of the above posters ...

Blood type is not important info. In the event of a bad trauma you're going to get uncrossmatched blood, and if your transfusion can wait, no hospital blood bank in the world is going to transfuse you without having performed a type & crossmatch -- they will not take your word for it that you are Type A, etc.

Allergy bands can be useful, but in my experience the vast majority of drug allergies are not to meds that pre-hospital & ER staff are going to be giving you in the short term anyway. We focus on meds to sustain ABCs. Allergic to PCN? That's fine to know -- but you weren't going to get it in the ER anyway.

ICE on the cell phone or a card in your wallet with an emergency contact name/phone number is useful for the hospital social worker who will begin to try to sort out your situation. Just make sure that person is aware that you've listed him/her ... and try to pick someone emotionally equipped to deal with an unexpected emergency. It's especially useful to name someone who has a vehicle/transportation of their own, and a bonus if it's someone who tends to be sober most of the time.

While we're on the topic ... if you've heard the old joke "never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to paramedics" ... then know that it's corollary is "don't carry anything in your wallet that you don't want to explain to family who show up at your bedside." Strip club VIP cards, condoms, rolling papers & pawn shop receipts do not make for happy family reunions.

[CHATSDALE]

a friend of my son had a wrist band from a day surgery and to please his mother he pinned it to his shirt when he went jogging

he got stung by a bee and the info lead emt to his chart inffo and they took care of him, he was awake by the time they reached er

[lpnstudentin2010, LPN]

.....Strip club VIP cards, condoms,

wife + these things could be very akward.

[madwife2002, BSN, RN]

Nope I even have one for my fridge and I havent even written on it LOL