The search succeeds 100%, if one is looking for a Medical Alert device. I will be honest that looking for a Medical Alert tattoo has not been on my radar screen and considering the number of tattoos some individuals have, I don’t think I would expend an enormous amount of time trying to decipher tattoos. Now if a Medical Alert symbol was tattooed in the usual places ones looks for a Medical Alert device, I would obviously pay heed.



Not quite sure if mean EMS personnel not looking or if you mean people are not wearing a Medical Alert device. If you mean EMS personnel are not looking for a Medical Alert device, they are not performing a proper patient survey. If you mean people are not wearing a Medical Alert device, well then they are endangering their own life.



I would think that a Medical Alert bracelet or necklace would be covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. A breakaway chain would address any entanglement/safety issues.

Pete

I would agree, to the best of my knowledge there is no jurisdiction in the US, where EMS personnel are giving whole blood in the field, so blood type information is pretty useless. If a transfusion is necessary at the hospital, they are certainly going type and cross match the patient before starting a transfusion.




Yes and no. While it might be nice to know the patient is taking Lorazepam, if the patient is actively it might suggest the current dose is not having its desired/intended effect. The EMS administration of Lorazepam/Ativan should be administered to effect, so the risk of an overdose is minimized.

Pete

I am taking other medications for depression and anxiety on a daily basis. Lorazepam is taken only as needed which is not often but is always with me just in case. I've never heard of a case in which EMS was called due to depression whereas an acute anxiety attack can cause the patient to pass out. If EMS were to find me unresponsive, what is needed on a medical bracelet to clue them in on what is a likely reason I am unresponsive?

Jeanette Isabelle

The same things myself and others have listed in earlier posts.

EMS can be called on cases involving depression, whenever an individual may attempt to hurt either themselves or others.


A patient’s unresponsiveness may have nothing to do with the their history of anxiety attacks and will not significantly change the course of treatment.


The standard treatment for any unresponsive patient is going to focus on the ABCD’s. If you’re not breathing or not breathing adequately (too fast or too slow) we will assist or correct the problem. If you have no pulse, CPR, heart beating, but not providing adequate perfusion, then electricity or drugs. Diabetic, a check of blood glucose levels will allow for the appropriate treatment. Active, prolong or multiple seizures, then drugs and respiratory support (or other treatment (i.e. OD) to correct the cause of the seizures).

Personally, based upon the information you are providing, I do not think a Medical Alert device would be of much assistance in determining why you may be unresponsiveness. Knowing you suffer from anxiety attacks and take meds for such, is not going to alter my course of evaluation and treatment.

Pete


P.S. Other EMS personnel may have a different take on your question.

Look at it these way Jeanette, if your unconscious or otherwise unresponsive, your probably not anxious. I'm sorry, I kid.

But I will say this to alleviate your concern. Unless I am horrible misunderstanding the use of anxiety medication, even if your unconscious or unresponsive, you would not need the medication until you or a family member can communicate with hospital staff.

For example, if your taking a daily medication for hypothyriodism or high cholesterol, that wouldn't need to be on a medical bracelet or RoadID. If you had a pace maker or need insulin regularly then that might be important.

What Pete said...

This is true. If I am unresponsive then I do not need my medication. My reason for bringing this up is to know if a responder would need to know this information if I am unresponsive.

In the event of an acute attack my breathing would be fast and shallow which in turn would cause a drop in oxygen saturation. Though unlikely it is still possible for my oxygen saturation to drop to where my brain is oxygen deprived. In that event I would need oxygen, not medication. Of course if a responder did find me unresponsive with fast shallow breathing, he or she would check my oxygen saturation.

It seems I answered my own question.

Jeanette Isabelle

Jeanette, you're overthinking this.

Anxiety attacks are quite easy to diagnose, as a rule. Even more so if you tell the provider "Hey, I have anxiety!" or "I take Ativan!" As far as I know, no EMS agency allows their medics to give Ativan for anxiety only, so being in an acute attack wouldn't change most treatment options.

If your attack does get to the point you pass out, well, you'll have stopped hyperventilating, and likely awoken, by the time EMS arrives.

As for your drugs, if you feel it's a potential issue, then get the tag with your meds. If you've got concurrent depression, then concievably you could OD on them. It won't help EMS (they don't carry the antidote) but it may help the ED. Assuming you don't have someone with you to tell them what you take.

Ditto Pete - he's pretty much spot on in my experiences.

No, I meant how often does anyone wear one. The search only succeeds if there is one to be found.

Is this an HHS standard?

Breakaway chains are overrated and don't prevent incidents (useful but insufficient). ADA only requires reasonable accommodations: you don't have to create a safety hazard for it.

I retired from the relevant job at ten years ago and medical necklaces never came up. It's hard to say now but had it come up I likely would have required that the card be strapped around the ankle or such, with the necklace removed while in the lab. It's the necklace that's the problem, not the card.

I may be misunderstanding what we're talking about here since the word "device" is being used: I have visions of a necklace with what amounts to a large dogtag with more text. If this is an actual _device_ of some sort that's different (and even worse given the lab EMI setting), but a necklace itself still wouldn't fly in the lab.