Here is the URL for a wrist or ankle ID bracelet that informs first responders of any medical conditions they should attend to:
http://www.roadid.com/.
I have no financial interest in this company–just think this is a great idea for water-bound folks or others who engage in active or solo sports.
maznblu
I looked at it, but
if I saw one on a patient, my first reaction would be to ignore it. Perhaps there are other markings that the pictures don’t show me, but unless there is something on the band that identifies it as a medical information tag (a red cross, a star of life, the words “med-ID” etc.) it could easily get overlooked and therefore useless.
Even something as simple as "in case of emergency, call: "
Just some suggestions.
-rs
Tattoo
I saw a guy who had a tattoo identifying him as a diabetic or something.
I Have One
I got the necklace style RoadID several years ago. It has my name & address, allergies, blood type, and emergency contact with that snakey medical insignia on the flip side. I don’t take my wallet when I paddle, so having an ID attached to me seems like a good idea.
When I took my Wilderness First Aid, checking for medic alert/medical info was part of the initial look over. My wife says that, even if the ID proves unecessary, the chain will prove very useful in pulling my body out of the water.
The RoadID people are easy to work with and they get the ID to you in a hurry.
several…
I have shoe tags for my running and biking shoes and a dog tag for kayaking. Mine has contact, allergy and health ins info on it - I don’t have “special conditions,” so that’s not necessary, for mine.
RS - If you find an unconscious person, wouldn’t you at least TRY to use information (including contact info) that you found on them? I believe most paramedics around running races have been alerted to the possibility of these, because Road ID markets heavily to runners.
Depends
– Last Updated: Mar-26-08 5:31 PM EST –
Question for me is how effective either bracelet or necklace are compared to having medical info in an Otter box in the day hatch or in a sealed packet in the person's PFD. If you're on a bike there are other locations to stash stuff, but in a kayak those are the two most apparent.
For the bracelet to work on the wrist it'd have to be outside of the dry suit that I practically live in, and under a glove that would have to be peeled back to look for it. On the water, the necklace one would probably work better since you could secure that to a Dring in a PFD pocket.
One issue with any of the wearable ones is the size of the print. The writing on the med history I carry in the Otter box in the day hatch is large enough that most people past the age of 50 yrs old could read it without glasses. The stuff on the bracelet or the necklace would definately require fishing around for them if I wasn't already wearing a pair with at least a partial corrective lens.
road id
I wear the wrist one over my drysuit gasket, under my glove. I also keep an id in my pfd pocket. My cell phone is often in my day hatch in a dry bag with “ICE” listed and contact number. I think out of these 3, the Road ID is probably the most useful. I also wear it when I run.
interesting points…
I would have to question some of them. I see how wrist IDs could be over looked by me or a regular Joe-on-the-street, but medical people should be looking for that. Now I LOVE the point about type size, that is a great point. But having your info in a box in your boat doesn’t seem as useful as it could be. Kayakers may look in the day hatch, but what about a mom with a kid in a stroller. These Id’s aren’t for deep sea rescues, they are for being near normal stuff, or average people. what if you are in a lake, you flip, lose your boat, and drift to shore knocked out? people will check you for some sort of ID.
I think back ups are good ideas. you could put emergency contact info on the bracelet with a note that says MED Info in Boat, or pocket or what ever. But at least then you have something to help you in case of a problem.
Well now it is time for dinner, and I am distracted by hunger, so I hope that all made enough sense.
Liveoutside
I just need one to
identify the body and to know where to send it.
Yes, probably
One of the first things I do after establishing a patient is unresponsive (after going thru the ABC’s of course), if there are no bystanders who know the patient, is look at the wrists, ankles and neck for Med ID tags. But if the tag has no information but a number on it with no indicaation that it is being worn for medical reasons, I am first going to go thru the protocol of checking blood sugars, administering thiamine, D-50 (if needed) or Narcan, checling vitals and heart rhythms (treating anything we find) and then hauling them to the hospital. If there is time or if we’re at a loss, we may call that number on the way to the hospital to see if anything pans out.
So, all I was saying is that some sort of info aimed at identifying the bracelet (or whatever) as medically related will get me to use it quicker.
-rs
Tattoos-
as an EMT i would not automatically read a tattoo and believe it as fact…
i have read about a guy who had a living will/comfort one tattooed on his chest-yes that may be his wish but as an EMT i am not going to follow his ink…that can get me into a LOT of trouble…
the roadid looks good…seen hem before…need to get one…
i also have a small nalgene bottle in my boat with ALL of my info…
rob
New version
Forgot that I had seen this the other day - they now have an interactive, updateable database for the information - reachable by phone or internet…
http://www.roadid.com/Common/default.aspx
I guess it’s a good thing to know that it should say for “MED and ID info”. Thanks, RS… it’s good to know what trained responders are looking for.
I have also have heard that EMT’s are being trained to look for ICE entries in cell phones. Is this something that’s reaching most? My cell is on me most of the time when I’m trail running or biking, not likely when I’m kayaking.