For Stever,
http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/chester-news/local-chester-news/2011/11/24/identity-of-chester-man-who-collapsed-in-helsby-is-finally-established-59067-29831030/

Well, once or twice we’ve had folk in the back of the wagon that we’d rather know a bit more about (albeit very quickly)- you know, folk found unconscious at the side of the road, no id, no phone etc..
Like the docs have said, we check everything we can straight away- but I can think of 3 occasions in the last few years when we had no info at all and the person was unknown in hospital for a coupla days till the police were able to figure it out or they were reported..
I realise that is more of an ID thing but we would always have a quick look for medical alert bracelets and the like as part of our head to toe if someone wasn’t able to tell us. It’s rare but it does happen.
I guess in the context of mountain biking where we could be out on our own, with no ID etc if we were in trouble it’s not a bad idea to have some basic info written down somewhere..

+1 for RoadID

dr_death – Member
TBH as an A&E doc we rarely find these things useful.

i hope there are exceptions – youngest daughter doesn’t produce cortisol so in trauma blood sugar would be way off whack but treating for blood sugar alone assuming is diabetic could be fatal

recently attended a first response course and checking for medic alert or similar wasn’t covered

Yeah, there’s a few conditions I can think of (and probably several others) that wearing a medic-alert necklace is essential. As above, Addison’s or anyone requiring maintenance steroids, Diabetes (even if your blood sugar is OK when you come through the door, it could change over the next few hours). Or if you by any chance happen to be allergic to any drugs we might use during resus, that would be worth knowing (some people are allergic to certain types of IV fluid).

I didn’t mean to sound flippant before, but having an ID bracelet that says your blood type and that you’re allergic to sticking plasters isn’t helpful at all, and spending money on such a thing is silly. People assume that if you’re knocked out and can’t give your name, no one will know who you are. There are lots of other ways of finding out. I don’t like products that are marketed to people by scaremongerers – It’s really not that common a problem at all. I do applaud the ‘Recycle Me’ bit on that RoadID though.

Thanks project – I know Rachel from the Chron, we thought he might have been one of ours at one point. We had a new runner about that time with a similar tattoo. Sad story that took a long time to come out.

I use MedicAlert – very similar to RoadID. Diabetic so handy to let the ‘lucky’ person that finds me know…fortunately never had to have it used.

I’ve always assumed they were a bit of a waste of cash to be honest unless you have some rare disease/issue that might cause an immediate problem. In fact I’d venture to say that having one on when you don’t have any existing issues is possibly psychologically removing some off the importance from those who DO have issues and wear a band/tag to say so. If every day the medics get people in with little bands all over them saying “I’m allergic to X, my blood type is Y” and it’s no use to them, the next time someone lands with a real issue they may ignore the tag.

I always carry a phone and my wallet, in my wallet I’ve a driving license, 3 bank cards, a blood donor card and an organ donor card. If found by medical professionals I want them to concentrate wholly on fixing me, THEN finding someone to tell when they know a little more about it. The last thing my parents/GF needs is a call saying coffeeking has had an accident, we’re not sure about his status yet but we’d like you to know anyway.

FWIW smart phones, at least androidy ones, can specify their lock screen wallpaper. Just mod the one you like with your ICE number visible.

I have always wondered why rally drivers have their blood group painted on their car door though, if medics always have to test first.

He asked if the emergency services would look at his wrist for contact details. Emergency Services people above have said no they wouldn’t they are more interested in saving your life. However they then qualified that the Police do the finding out contact details bit later.

**Smacks head**

Last time I checked the police are an emergency service. Medical people have said they’re too busy saving your life, but it’s been widely acknowledged that it may well help in identifying you, ergo to say it’s pointless because A&E doctors will ignore it is seriously short sighted IMO.

Just me?

I don’t think ID’ing anyone would ever take people away from the medical team – it’s a job for an extra nurse / receptionist to do, so it’s not like we’d ever call your wife in leiu of performing CPR…

Re: Blood types – in some circumstances knowing your blood group is worthwhile, but only if that result is validated and 100% reliable. For example, army grunts have their blood group on their dog tags so they can get type-specific blood sooner. Clearly that system works otherwise they wouldn’t do it. However, if someone rolls into A+E with a tag bought over the internet by some company with very little vested interest in their health, well, I wouldn’t trust it, and that person would get O -ve blood if they needed it, prior to more accurately-matched blooded becoming available (typically around 15 minutes for type-specific blood).

So who’s the rider found in a bad way on the Pennine Bridleway near Rochdale today then?

I’m all for proper risk analysis rather than scaremongering. It takes no effort to wear ID, no more than wearing a watch, and costs very little, less than a watch. In an accident it may be invaluable. seems a reasonable trade to me.

How about a dog tag (actual doggy tag) on your keyring? Or something on your wrist – engraved that you always wear?

This is why everyone should be chipped and gps tagged at birth 😉

Why not one of these on your keyring?

http://www.pettag.co.uk/acatalog/info_466.html

Its particularly poignant to me as in hospital I was asked for my next of kin who I couldn’t remember. I gave the Doctor my phone who then asked for my pin (which I couldn’t remember). Eventually they accessed my phone (maybe I remembered my pin?!) and had to ring a few numbers as I still couldnt remember mrsHora’s name 😆

you can set the ‘lock screen’ on your iphone to give emergency info withotu people havign to unlock it;

eg (sorry for big image)

fourbanger – Member
I don’t really get the ICE thing. Assuming you have ID and can be identified, what can a relative do apart from bring you flowers in your hospital bed or switch off the machine.

Those things might be quite important. Loved ones, gain some comfort from being at the bedside to watch you die. A long delay may mean they aren’t there to do that. And it may help make the police’s life easier. Although it is probably all a great internet idea that it is truely useful.

I’m surprised the docs don’t see medic alerts useful for underlying medical conditions like diabetes as presumably you’d rather know that the patient brought in with “normal” blood sugar levels and a head injury is going to to get more complicated as the day goes on rather than working out afterwards that they have diabetes.

If you want to do something useful with your phone though to make life easier for your loved ones in the event of your sudden death – can I suggest marking/categorising people in the phone as those that matter and those that don’t! Its bad enough having to go through a phonebook calling people to tell them you are dead, without phoning your hairdresser, taxi driver, etc…

I have a road ID bracelet that I wear anytime I’m out on the bike either alone, or with mates. It’s just automatic for me, put on helmet and road ID then go ride.

Intitially I thought it was a bit of overkill, but after a couple of close calls when out on my own I’m glad that I wear it.

Can’t see the point of this at all.
1) never take a phone with me on the bike anyway so no need for ICE.
2) What’s the point of blood group, allergies etc, as above, unless you have some extremely ‘different’ medical condition.

Can’t see the point of this at all.

Really? You see no point in carrying any form of identification, so that if you are hit and critically injured no one knows who you are?

Really? You see no point in carrying any form of identification, so that if you are hit and critically injured no one knows who you are?

Correct.

I agree. If I were smashed up in an RTC (and I have been) being adressed by the right name or title is the least of my worries.

being adressed by the right name or title is the least of my worries.

especially if remembering it in the first place might be a bigger worry

Hmmm interesting.

Six months ago I was found semi-conscious lying in the middle of a road. Had road cycled from home so wasn’t carrying ID and live on my own.

I have no memory of accident or where it happened or why. Then lost consciousness until 11.30 pm when I woke up in hospital in excruciating pain.

My family did not know what had happened until I was discharged 3 days later and phoned them.

I have just bought an ICE wristband. This is mainly because not very many of my friends have my wife’s number. If I was to fall and break a pretty major bone I am not sure I would want or be able to get my phone out and call her, but I would hope to be able to show someone the number to call. It would not be for the medics/emergency services, but more for the people I am with