Some critical pieces of information that should be on your medical bracelets include your first and last names, medical conditions, allergies, medications/prescriptions you are on, any special treatment restrictions or considerations, and emergency contacts.
Your names can be useful to first responders not only to aid in identification quickly, but also in assessing your alertness in an emergency – Responding to your name is an effective way to assess your alertness.
Knowing about medical conditions is key to first responders as they can help them quickly and efficiently identify what may have happened and adjust their care accordingly.
It is also important to note that using abbreviations overzealously can be counterproductive and a possible source of confusion, if you have ample space on your tag keeping things simple and spelled out is the most straightforward course of action. When utilizing abbreviations doing so strategically can help ensure that your tag’s information is clear and concise.
When choosing which words to abbreviate always choose the most common abbreviations first, only resorting to more obscure ones if more space is needed.
If you possess a rare disease it is most wise to avoid abbreviations as these conditions are much more obscure. Special treatment considerations are also best spelt out to ensure that they are fully understood by first responders.