How to Best Identify Yourself with Your Medical ID Bracelet

Medical alert bracelets and medical ID bracelets are useful tools for anyone with allergies, serious conditions, or special needs. If someone experiences a medical emergency, fall, or other accident, their alert bracelet can notify bystanders and emergency responders of vital information that can be used to help them.

That’s why it’s crucial to include anything and everything helpers might need to know when engraving your medical alert bracelet. But these potentially life-saving pieces of jewelry typically aren’t very big. So, what information should you prioritize? And how can you make room for everything you need?

Today we’ll be talking about what to include on your medical alert bracelet and some helpful tips to make the most out of the limited space you have.

What to Include on Your Medical Alert Bracelet

Medical ID bracelets come in different sizes, so depending on the amount of information you need to include, you may want to opt for a larger one. They also come in many different styles, including less flashy medical alert bracelets for men.

Once you’ve picked one out that suits your style, it’s time to engrave it with your information. Here’s what you should consider including on your medical alert bracelet:

1. First and last name – When responders or bystanders can quickly identify you, they can notify the authorities or any emergency contacts of your situation.
2. Medical conditions – Conditions like diabetes, epilepsy, asthma, cardiovascular issues, or any concerns that can affect your communication with emergency responders (hard of hearing, non-verbal, blindness, etc.) should be included on your medical alert bracelet.
3. Current medications – If you’re taking any medication that affects your blood flow or other vital processes, like blood thinners or immunosuppressant medications, you should list them on your bracelet. This information can help the paramedics understand your situation better and avoid any adverse drug interactions.
4. Medical devices – Pacemakers, intrathecal pumps, implantable cardiac defibrillators, and other medical devices that emergency treatment may interfere with.
5. Allergies – Serious or life-threatening allergies to medications and foods. 
6. Life-saving medications – For example, if you carry an Epipen with you wherever you go or need one in the event of an allergic reaction. You can engrave something like, “Carries Epipen” or “Needs Epipen.”
7. In Case of Emergency (ICE) number – Aside from “Call 911,” add an emergency contact’s phone number to your medical alert bracelet for any helpful bystanders or medical personnel. It can be a spouse, parent, close friend, or even a doctor.
8. Blood type – If you have a blood condition or disorder, listing it can help in certain emergency situations.
9. Organ transplants or removed organs – Any organ transplant or removal procedures you’ve had. 
10. Do not resuscitate (DNR) orders – If your doctor issued you or a loved one a DNR order, you should include it for any bystanders and emergency personnel.

Abbreviate to Save Space

Now, since 911 medical alert bracelets aren’t very big, you may have to prioritize which information you want to put on yours. 

But there are plenty of abbreviations for various conditions you can use to create more space for yourself.

Here are the medical alert abbreviations for several serious medical issues:

• ALGY = Allergy
• CHF, CHD =Congestive Heart Failure, Congestive Heart Disease
• COPD = Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
• HI = Hearing Impaired
• MD = Multiple Sclerosis
• TBI = Traumatic Brain Injury
• T1D, T2D = Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes

If you don’t have any allergies and you have the space to include it on your bracelet, you can add the medical alert abbreviation “NKA” for No Known Allergies.

And if you need to list any medications, instead of saying “Taking Coumadin,” you can simply say “Coumadin” to save room.

The Perfect Complement to Your Medical ID Bracelet

Medical alert bracelets are a big help in situations when there are people around to assist you. But unfortunately, that’s not always the case. What’s more, emergency responders aren’t trained to look for medical ID bracelets first.

If you’re unconscious or unresponsive, their top priority is making sure you’re still breathing and checking your vital signs. Once they get the situation under control, then they can search for any medical jewelry.

That’s why it’s essential to have a medical alert system that can automatically notify responders of your emergency medical information. If you notice yourself having a reaction or aren’t able to communicate with 911 dispatchers, the Rescu app puts you in touch with police, fire, or medical services with just two taps. No verbal communication required.

When you send for help, the app immediately notifies emergency personnel of your pre-set medical information, so they know exactly how to respond when they get to you. Rescu also instantly informs any listed emergency contacts that you sent an alert so that they can help too.

So, if you’re getting your medical alert bracelet engraved, add the Rescu app to your toolkit for a complete emergency preparedness package you can count on. Available for free on the App Store and Google Play with subscriptions starting as low as $7 a month.