Medical ID Bracelets: The Basics
Medical ID Bracelet Basics
Should I wear a medical ID
bracelet?
Medical ID bracelets are designed to provide EMT's with information about your specific medical or allergic condition, or medication you're taking in the event of an emergency at the point in time when they're about to administer emergency treatment. It's commonly said that a medical alert bracelet speaks for you when you are unable to speak for yourself. Thus, it's especially critical for persons who have an illness that might render them unable to speak to wear a medical id bracelet or medical alert pendant. However, it's recommended
by some medical personnel that everyone with a severe allergy or medical
condition should wear a medical ID.
Medical alert bracelets are being made from all sorts of
materials these days, and it's important to understand some of the differences
in these materials before making your purchase.
The Benefits of gold, and Silver Medical Alert Jewelry
- Because of the
minute amount of impurities in both sterling silver and gold, medical alert
bracelets and necklaces that are made from these materials are the least likely
to react negatively with a person's skin. So, if you have issues with
jewelry causing allergic reactions or rashes on your skin, a gold or silver
medical ID bracelet might be your best option. Note: gold plated, gold
tone, silver plated, and silver tone jewelry is not the same; they are typically
composed of a base metal that has a thin outer layer of gold or silver color
painted over top.
- Because silver and metal are such pure metals, they are
very resistant to corrosion.
- Most people would agree that real
gold and sterling silver items look better (shinier) than polished base
metals or stainless steel jewelry.
- Since there isn't any plating or colored layer, the
brilliant shine and color of your jewelry won't wear off over time.
That is to say, that underneath the gold of a gold bracelet, is more gold,
and not a base metal that could be gray, orange, or green.
- Silver and gold jewelry can easily be worn with formal
clothes, when a more affordable medical ID might not look as good.
The Benefits of
Stainless Steel Medical Alert Jewelry
- Stainless steel is called "stainless" because of its extreme resistance to corrosion over time.
- 316L stainless steel is known as "surgical stainless"
because its resistance to corrosion exceeds even that of typical
stainless steel products, it is a premier version of stainless steel.
- The majority of the
stainless steel medical alert jewelry at Sticky Jewelry is composed
of 316L stainless steel.
- Stainless steel medical ID's are (to our knowledge) the
most durable and scratch resistant ID's on the market.
- Good for people who like the feeling of "solid" jewelry.
Stainless steel is a bit heavier than most base metals, as well as other
metals, such as titanium and silver.
- Stainless steel is a very strong metal.. Therefore, small
pieces, such as clasps and chain links are less likely to break.
- Because stainless is so sturdy, text can be engraved very
deeply so that it will remain more legible as the bracelet encounters wear
over time.
- Laser engraving is an option.
Sticky Jewelry's laser engraving machines use a laser to bond a black
ceramic material to the surface of the metal; the result is a beautiful and
very legible black engraving. Stainless steel items are the only items
that consistently allow the ceramic to bond to the metal well, and
therefore, are the only ID's that we offer laser engraving on.
- Stainless steel is an abundant metal, so the prices for
stainless steel medical ID's are usually much more affordable than
comparable gold or silver items.
The Benefits of
Titanium Medical Alert Jewelry
- Titanium is
lightweight and durable (though not as scratch resistant as stainless
steel). Therefore, it's a great option for people who want a medical
bracelet or pendant that doesn't have a lot of weight to it.
- Titanium has a unique color and appearance to it which is
hard to mimic. Titanium medical ID's are a great alternative if you
don't like the appearance of most medical jewelry.
- Much like stainless steel, titanium is much more
affordable than precious metals.
The Benefits of
Medical ID Jewelry Made from Leather, Rubber, Nylon and Other Materials
- Medical ID's made from a variety of materials tend to do well amongst the younger
generations because of the wide variety of styles that these materials can
be fashioned into inherently allows them to be designed more fashionably
than a lot of standard ID's that are made entirely from, and limited to the
boundaries of metal.
- A lot of people choose these medical ID's because they
can be more comfortable than medical jewelry that is composed entirely of
metal.
- Some of these ID's actually designed to keep metal away
from the skin. This is a great solution for people who have skin that
is sensitive to various metals.
- These ID's can come in lots of colors, and are more
versatile than all-metal medical identification jewelry.
- The price is usually more affordable than ID's that
require a lot of metal.
-
The first step in correctly sizing your medical ID
bracelet is to correctly measure your wrist. The easiest way to do
this is to use measuring tape. However, if measuring tape is not
available, you can use a piece of string or yarn in combination with a
ruler. Wrap the string/yarn around your wrist and cut it so that the
two ends will meet when wrapped snuggly around your wrist. Then, lay
the string out next to a ruler to measure the total length. Or, print
out the
free wrist measuring tool on this page.
-
Because most medical id bracelets are measured from clasp
to clasp, it is recommended that you choose a bracelet approximately 1/2" to
3/4" larger than your actual wrist size. Note: some styles may
have a different sizing recommendation, so be sure to read before you
purchase.
-
For best results, only purchase bracelets that have a
clearly stated size or specific sizing instructions.
What do EMT's
Look for on a patient?
Emergency Medical Technicians (commonly referred to as EMT's) are trained as
first responders, to look first for a medical ID bracelet and other forms of
medical identification (such as a medical alert necklace or pendant), and then
for medical wallet cards. Because of the urgent nature of emergency
situations, it's important to have your medical information quickly and easily
available to the medical personnel via one of the aforementioned forms of
medical identification. If the medical personnel are unable to quickly
locate your medical information they will begin treating you without any prior
knowledge of your condition and/or allergies.
Because medical ID's are typically quite small, and a person's medical
history can be very lengthy and detailed, there are several abbreviations that
are commonly used on medical ID's and understood by EMT's. Here are a few
of the most commonly used medical abbreviations:
| Atrial Fibrillation |
A-fib |
| Blood Pressure |
BP |
| Cardiovascular |
CV |
| Epinephrine Pen |
EpiPen |
| Gastrointestinal |
GI |
| Ventricular Tachycardia |
VT/v tach |
Please follow the link for a more complete
list of medical abbreviations.
We've spoken with some of the Medical Technician's in this area and
here's what we've found. The most important information to engrave on a
medical ID is as follows: first, your diagnosis or condition. The main
condition that you have is most important. The second most important thing
to include on your medical alert bracelet is your allergies. In addition
to your allergies to everyday things, it is also important to include any
medications that you are allergic too. Third, if there is room left on
your medical ID its good practice to include your name and emergency contact
information. For children, it's a good idea to have at least one
parent's contact information included on the id. Note: name &
emergency contact as well as any other personal information is optional &
typically engraved on the back side of your medical ID bracelet or pendant to
keep personal information out of site until it's needed.
Written by
Jed Mootsey
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