Monday, September 13, 2010

ICE (IN CASE OF EMERGENCY)

Have you heard the saying “the cobbler’s son has no shoes”? As healthcare professionals, we are expert at caring for emergent patients and educating the public about wellness and safety. But sometimes we neglect our own wellbeing in lieu of our commitment to the welfare of others. Here’s an easy thing you, your family and friends can do to ensure that in the event of an emergency, your caregivers have a chance to deliver the best care possible. In your cell phone and computer contacts, set up a contact called ICE. Emergency, hospital and other officials are trained to look at your contacts for an “ICE” contact in emergency situations. Here is a link with more details about “ICE”;

www.asse.org/newsroom/safetytips/docs/icepowerpoint32608.ppt

By doing this, emergency teams can immediately obtain critical information from you about the patient (history, meds, allergies etc.) and also let you know where the patient is being taken for treatment. You might consider passing this along to school, church, sports and other groups you associate with.