ICE " in case of emergency " apps worth it ?

Specialties Emergency

Published

A co-worker told me about ICE apps that have all your med info listed for EMS / ER if you are found passed out . She said EMS always looks at your Phone for this app. I have a pice of paper in my wallet with my info and one in my service dogs harness but as she was saying if don't have your wallet with you "and I never do when I walk " noone will know to look in the dogs harness .

I want to make shore that some knows to look and care for my service dog if I can't . So I got one of these for my iPhone yesterday the one I got in called smart-ice and it will call SMS for you I have been filling in the info and I just wanted to know is it worth all the work do EMS / look for this on you phone . And where is the best place to keep an ice sheet ?

Specializes in ED, Pedi Vasc access, Paramedic serving 6 towns.
I have the first contact in my phone *In Case of Emergency* that includes my allergies to medications, blood type, organ donor information, and who to contact. I figured if its an emergency situation I really want them to know not to make the situation worse and give me a medication I'm allergic to.

I wouldn't bother with putting that stuff in your phone. We don't really expect to find that in a phone and generally if your not talking because you are acutely and severely ill the benifits of giving you a medication that you MAY be allergic too far outway the risks.

It kills me when I see people put their blood type down for us in their wallet or whatever else. We do not use patient provided blood type to give you blood products! I understand this would not be common knowledge for most people to know....

Happy

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I wouldn't bother with putting that stuff in your phone. We don't really expect to find that in a phone and generally if your not talking because you are acutely and severely ill the benifits of giving you a medication that you MAY be allergic too far outway the risks.

It kills me when I see people put their blood type down for us in their wallet or whatever else. We do not use patient provided blood type to give you blood products! I understand this would not be common knowledge for most people to know....

Happy

Ok , the phone apps are out so wheres that best place to keep stuff ?

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I have 18 years in EMS and I have never opened someone's phone or wallet. If you have an allergy, medical condition, etc. the only place we check is for a medic alert necklace or bracelet. I have on occasion had an unconscious person with a service dog and I do check for a pouch on the collar for emergency info but I know that not all of my fellow paramedics at my job do that.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I gotta agre with everyone that works EMS. No one looks in your phone. If there is more than one person in a car the cell phones are usually spread all around. Plus all phones operate differently and I would never take the time to look for stuff in your phone. Save your money and just put a piece of paper with your emergency data on it in your wallet.

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A Road ID bracelet is better. Google it.

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A Road ID bracelet is better. Google it.

Thats a grate idea I am going to get one . Thanks

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Specializes in Emergency.

As a paramedic with an EMS system: Medic-alert or similar bracelet, preferably on the left wrist (since most ambulances in the US tend to be set up for the majority of patient care on the left side of the patient). Pretty hard to miss it that way. I don't care what's engraved on it... I will read it, whether its an allergy, medical condition, or emergency contact. I may not be able to make the phone call to your contact while caring for you, but I *will* let the receiving nurse know about it.

Like the others, I have *never*, nor ever intend to look through someone's wallet, phone, or dig around in their pants or purse. If it's an emergency, I don't have time to deal with that, and also, I don't want to accept the risks of a needle stick from one of our "recreational drug users" who carries their "stuff" in a pocket. I had one sweet-appearing lil' ol' lady tuck away a particular item in her bra that made my head spin, lol! Only saw it because of the need for a 12-lead ECG and sure enough, there it was! Wow!

Just my two pennies worth. ;-)

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Specializes in Med/Surg, ICU, ER, Peds ER-CPEN.

alot of new phones list the ICE contacts in RED, not sure if paramedics would take the time to try and find an app and open it on a smart phone

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Specializes in OB, ER.

I work in the ER and we look in phones and wallets ALL the time. If a critical patient comes in the phone and wallet are immediatly handed to the chaplain or social worker and they look through them. They look for identifiying info, contact info and medical info. Then they secure the belongings until the patient or family can claim them.

ICE is so important!!! Would you want to be lying in a hospital bed for hours or even days unconcious from a car accident and not have anyone know you were there? A card in the wallet is fine and probably easier to get to then a phone. We do look at both though.

I can see how medics don't have time for this but at the hospital it is crucial and we have a designatated person to do this and then contact family memebers.

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I work in the ER and we look in phones and wallets ALL the time. If a critical patient comes in the phone and wallet are immediatly handed to the chaplain or social worker and they look through them. They look for identifiying info, contact info and medical info. Then they secure the belongings until the patient or family can claim them.

ICE is so important!!! Would you want to be lying in a hospital bed for hours or even days unconcious from a car accident and not have anyone know you were there? A card in the wallet is fine and probably easier to get to then a phone. We do look at both though.

I can see how medics don't have time for this but at the hospital it is crucial and we have a designatated person to do this and then contact family memebers.

I Am glad to hear that thank you for the I info

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Specializes in Phlebotomist, nursing student.

Road ID:

http://www.roadid.com/Common/Catalog.aspx?C=RoadID

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Specializes in Emergency & Trauma/Adult ICU.

Agree that ICE is very useful if your phone remains with you after whatever has happened that renders you unconscious or with altered mental status unable to provide information.

Most phones now are pre-programmed with ICE in the "Contacts" function -- no need for any other kind of app, and that would be the only place that I would look. All that needs to be in there is 1 or 2 people reachable by phone, allergies, and current meds.

We use this in the ER all the time, and frequently the medics or flight crew have already done this when they roll into the ER and give report on the patient.

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