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What's Wrong?
During a medical emergency, time is of the
essence. Emergency medical providers must be able to gather a
large amount of information quickly in order to develop the proper
treatments for the patient. Oftentimes, one provider will treat
the patient while another provider tries to obtain an accurate medical
history from either the patient or a family member or other bystander.
Friends, family members, and loved ones can help reduce the amount of time needed to
gather this history by having some information compiled before an
emergency happens. While it is appropriate to have a medical
history available for all people living with you, it is most important
to have this information available for those who may have serious
medical conditions, such as heart troubles or diabetes, and for those
who may not be able to speak for themselves, such as the disabled or
elderly. When compiling the medical information for you or a loved
one, keep these important guidelines in mind:
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Make sure to have the full name, date of birth,
age, and address on the paper, preferably near the top.
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Allergies to medications, foods (especially
nuts), and/or latex are critical pieces of information. Make
sure these are listed prominently.
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List medical conditions the patient may have,
such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or asthma.
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Include past medical history, such as heart
attack or stroke in the past, and be sure to note when these events
happened.
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List any surgical history the person may have
had and the dates when it was performed. Examples include
bypass surgery, organ transplants, or joint replacement.
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Make a list of medications to be kept with or
made part of the medical information, including the name of the
medication, what the dosage is, and how often it is to be taken.
Include medications prescribed by a physician, over-the-counter
medications taken on a regular basis (such as aspirin therapy), and
dietary supplements such as herbal preparations or vitamins.
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Keep the information in a safe location which
is accessible to emergency responders and is known by all people who
live in the house. Common places in which responders are
trained to look include by the front door, on the refrigerator door,
or in the refrigerator. An envelope marked "EMERGENCY MEDICAL
INFORMATION" with the person's name is extremely effective and is
encouraged.
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Be sure to check and update the information on
a regular basis. Pay particular attention to keeping the
medication list up-to-date, as this is a critical piece of information
for emergency responders. Also, consider including pregnancy
as part of the medical conditions, and note the due-date.
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Be sure that caretakers in your home such as
babysitters or others know where the information is kept.
By following these recommendations, you can help
greatly reduce the amount of time needed to provide necessary emergency
care to you or your loved ones. If you have any questions or would
like help preparing this document, please
follow the Contact Information
link.
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