This is a great topic, and an important one.
The first, and simplest way to get information across is to tell your travelling companions. Sounds silly, right? But you would be amazed at how many people travel with family and friends and don't share their pertinent medical information with them. Even DH/DW/SO don't often know what their SO's history, allergies and medications are. It is vitally important to NOT be embarrassed about your medical history and to make sure that your group knows.
The next thing I would suggest is a med-alert bracelet or med-alert necklace. Most EMT classes teach students to look for some sort of med-alert jewelry in an unconscious/unresponsive patient. They are usually discreet, and the information on them can save your life.
A third thing is to keep a list of your medications/allergies/contact numbers and history in your wallet. Many physicians give out little cards that you can fill in with your pertinent information. A little information can go a long way. If you can't get one from your physician, make up your own on an index card, and laminate it. It's also important to update this information on a regular basis.
Another thing that I have seen recently is the use of "ICE" (which stands for "In Case of Emergency") in your cell phone. My new phone came with a section that I could program with my medical information and my emergency contact numbers. But I have to tell you, in the field, I have yet to check someone's cell phone for this information.
If you have a condition that is severe enough that you think might be a problem while you are driving, a list in the glove box of your car is a good thing. If you are on the side of the road unconscious, the police/EMS are going to take a peek in your glove box to try to find out who you are. A list taped in a prominent spot could be a great help. If it is a rental car, just leave it in the cup holder.
It's important that you have some sort of device/system in place to alert emergency personnel of what your condition is, and please, don't be embarrassed about whatever it is!
: If you are unresponsive, we have a protocol that we go through which treats all the causes of unresponsiveness. If we have an idea of what is causing your condition we can try to pinpoint the problem. (for instance, if your tag says you are diabetic, we would first test and treat your blood sugar.)
A comment on the Vial of Life...they can be a great tool, but we ran a Vial of Life program up here with terrible results. A Vial of Life is basically a pill bottle but instead of medication, it contains your health information. You also get a big "Vial of Life" sticker with it. Our program handed them out, asked the recipients to fill them out and place them in their refrigerator, and then place the sticker on their front door or window so that the emergency crews would know that they had them. We found several things: 1) Once they were filled in once, they were NEVER updated again. 2) People didn't want the sticker on their front door/window, so they would put it...oh, say, on the fridge door, or on their bathroom mirror...pretty much lots of places we would never look. 3) If the sticker was actually there, the vial wasn't. It was in the closet, or under the bed, or if it was in the fridge, it was behind three weeks worth of leftovers.
I hope that other counties have had more success with their Vial of Life programs then we did!
I hope this helps!
