Topic: Do U wear a Medical Alert Braclets?

Jan 15, 2010 08:05 PM GryffinSong wrote:

I wore one for ages, but found that everytime I was hospitalized for chemo side affects no one ever took any notice of it. :( So, I've taken it off. Not sure if I'll put it back on, but they had to remove all my nodes, so I am at fairly high risk of lymphedema.

I found at the hospital that I kept having to remind them to use my ankle for bp and needles, until they posted a sign over my bed.

Jan 15, 2010 10:13 PM SoCalLisa wrote:

I don't...I figure if I am unconscious, which arm is the least of my worries.

Jan 17, 2010 09:01 PM mawhinney wrote:

When I went in for reconstruction, I asked the prep nurses if they put on me  a special braclet or mark alerting the staff not to do blood pressure or sticks into my left arm.  They said there wasn't any special braclet the hospital used.  I made them mark my arm and put a big note on the front of my folder.  I'd rather be safe than sorry so I remind all medical workers not to use my left arm. 

Jan 17, 2010 11:17 PM Mantra wrote:

I wear one and it says "left arm - no BP, IV, bloodwork". I also have a TE so it says "no MRI"

Jan 18, 2010 07:48 AM, edited Jan 18, 2010 07:49 AM by Leah_S

If no one is going to look at what an arm band says in a medical emergency, why bother wearing it?

I am allergic to penicillin so do NOT feel exactly safe knowing that in an emergency if no one is around to tell them it might be administered. Raising my risk of lymphedema is one thing, anaphylactic shock is another.

Leah

Jan 18, 2010 11:30 AM JO-5 wrote:

I wear one and got it after a stay in the hospital where I had to keep telling nurses not to do a BP or take blood from my right arm!

They finally put a large sign over my bed like prettyinpink just said.

I also have a LOT of allergies to meds - so it is necessary for that, too!

In an emergency they may not look at it --- but it can't hurt. It has been my experience that most of the EMT's do look at them. Mine is fairly large and would be very hard to miss. I also carry a card in my wallet with all the info on it.

JO

Jan 19, 2010 01:07 PM EGAL wrote:

I wear one when traveling either by plane or long distance by car.  I worked with a CMT and he said that they do check if they get a call.  It is worth it if it does work, but even if no one checks I feel better trying.  Also in my hospital they use a bright pink plastic bracelet on arm that should not be used for BP, needles, etc.

Ellen

Jan 19, 2010 02:39 PM JO-5 wrote:

As I said before, Binney, I wear my ID bracelet but I just ordered one of the free hospital bands and am going to order the G sleeve. Can't be too careful!

I will write on my arm if I have to go to the hospital before I receive my band.

When I was in the hospital with the  cellulitis I almost had a fight with an aide that came in the room in the middle of the night to take my BP and headed right for that arm. Thank goodness, I am a light sleeper. She argued with me about it - until I got loud --- then she took it on the other side. (That was before my sign got put over my bed - but I still would have to point up to the sign when someone different came in.)

I will wear the free band when I get my colonsocopy, too!  There are lots of occasions where it is needed.

JO

Jan 19, 2010 03:51 PM otter wrote:

When I was going to an endocrinologist for a weird adrenal problem a few years ago, he insisted that I had to wear a Medical Alert bracelet.  He made all his patients wear them -- there was even a check box on the nurse's form to mark whether we were wearing ours when we arrived for an office appt.  Why me?  He said I needed one because I was on Synthroid for hypothyroidism and a beta blocker for mild hypertension.  WTH?  Oh, well.  I bought a really nice pendant necklace (I'll try to find a pic of it) but I never wore it.  I got "written up" and scolded a  few times, but then we had a big fight about my not wanting to start taking HRT and I stopped going there.

The only major surgery-type thing I've had done since my mast/SNB was a colonoscopy a year ago.  After I'd made the appt., a nurse from the GI doc's clinic called to get my med & insurance info.  I told her about my at-risk arm (which actually had mild, subclinical LE at the time), and I said I wasn't supposed to have needle sticks, venipuncture, or BP measurements on that side.  Would that be something they could accomodate?

She said, "No problem!".  When I arrived for the fun and games, the very first thing they did was check my record ... and put a large, bold-lettered sticker at the top of the front page that said "No BP or needle sticks on left side!".  And the nurse put one of those bright pink wristbands on my left wrist.  Nobody touched that side while I was awake.  I have no idea what they did while I was asleep.  Well, okay, I think I know what they did, ... never mind.

I need to call my sister, who's a long-time ER/trauma nurse, to see if the ER staff or EMT's pay any attention to wrist bands or Medical Alert bracelets.  And, if they do read them, to what extent do they follow them?  I already asked her once about LE specifically (messing with an at-risk arm), and she basically said when someone comes in bleeding from a gunshot wound or with bad head trauma, the first thing on the list is to save the person's life.  Okay, I get it.

I do think there's a bracelet overload, which is probably contributing to the problem:

My medical insurer has an Emergency Alert system where we're supposed to carry a card in our wallets with a web address that contains relevant medical info. I keep going to the website and updating my info,  But, I'm wondering how many EMT's who arrive at the scene of my car wreck are going to go to their trucks and log on to a computer to check my medical alert file before they start giving me emergency treatment?

otter 

Jan 19, 2010 04:16 PM JO-5 wrote:

Leah_S,

Good idea! Can't be too careful!

JO

Jan 20, 2010 10:04 AM JO-5 wrote:

kim,

I had a lot of nausea because of all the IV antibiotics --- and the nurse came in with a pill and a shot.

She said the shot would put me to sleep and since I was awake a lot in the night (they would come in and my eyes would pop open) I should take the shot. The pill wouldn't help as much but would not put me to sleep.

I opted for the pill and she was irritated and asked me why. I simply told her because I am not going to be knocked out and have some screwball come in here in the middle of the night and do something to my right arm. She gave me the pill and left the room.

I am an old gal and not intimidated by much! So all you gals ---- stick up for yourselves and if you have to, BE FIRM!  This is not something you want to be passive about!

JO

Jan 20, 2010 05:18 PM lilith wrote:

No-way. I never thought about that, and now that I think of it, I don't want one. I am proud to be a survivor - but I don't wear it - litterally - on my sleeve. 

And as Lisa said - if I am unconscious, heck - I don't want them to waste time figuring out what arm to use. also, I have extremely bad veins on both arms... so far, not a trace of LE.  

Jan 21, 2010 08:48 AM lvtwoqlt wrote:

Mantra, when I had my bilat mast with recon surgery they put a 'main line' iv in my neck to avoid putting IV's in my arms. When I was admitted my hospital ID band was placed on my arm but when I woke up after surgery (in my drug induced haze) I couldn't find my ID band on my arm and I worried about where it went. Evendentally after I was under sedation my ID band was moved to my ankle. Once in my room, when the nurses came in to take my BP, they would look for the ID band (to see if I was who they were looking for ), after seeing the ID band on my ankle, they would take the BP on that leg and they never tried to take it on my arms. If you aren't going to spend extra time in the hospital they can put the IV in your foot/leg. Since my doctor was going to keep me at least 24 hours, he didn't want the IV in my foot to restrict my walking ability.

Sheila

Feb 25, 2010 03:54 PM Faith316 wrote:

Can you post a picture of some of yours so we can see them?

Feb 25, 2010 07:21 PM mawhinney wrote:

In presurgery I ask to have  no iv, no sticks written on my "bad" arm. I also have them put a sign on the front of my file stating no IV, no sticks left arm.