Emergencies from the Perspective of an EMT

There are times when emergencies arise and you don't think clearly. There are some common things that people overlook that could be a matter of life or death. As an EMT, I am going to let you in on some things to help out emergency personnel when they arrive to you in an emergency. It is better to take care of these things BEFORE an emergency arises.

Medications......... It is a good idea to carry a list of your medication that you take in your purse or wallet. This is a good idea in case of an accident when you can't communicate with emergency personnel. Please make sure you are only carrying your medication list. Sometimes when you are a caregiver, you usually have a list of their medication. If we can't talk to you or you can't answer, we are assuming these are your medications and that inhibits what drugs we can give you to stabilize you. It is also a good idea to have a medication list of your own on the refrigerator. If we come to your home, we don't know what medication you have taken or are prescribed.

Allergies........If you are allergic to anything, please list this on your medication page. Even if it is not medication that you are allergic to. This helps us on what may be going on with you or helps if we need to give you medication.

Emergency contact........If you live alone, please list an emergency contact on your refrigerator. Take out that slip of paper we discussed above with your medications and allergies and also put on your emergency contact information. We would like to contact a loved one or whom ever you need contacted.