Road ID for my kid - blood type?

[zoom-zoom]

I'm planning to order one of those slim wrist IDs for my 10 year old son, since he rides so much on the tandem with my hubby. It would be a good idea to have his blood type on the plate, but I'm not sure off-hand what his type is. I assume his pediatrician would have it...but maybe not. Or maybe he was never typed? That first year of his life was such a fog that I don't remember whether or not we were even told his type, heh.

[kmehrzad]

I was riding with a nurse once and he said don't bother putting your blood type on the Road ID since they 'type' the patient anyway. This is just something I've heard ....

[Blueberry]

I asked my doc by type for emergencies, and she said the same thing: they will type you anyway and it's instantaneous, so don't bother. Just what I heard:)

[limewave]

Your pediatrician should definitely have that info. Seems like they get all that when they are newborns.

We have Road ID's for both our kids (2 and 5). We use them whenever we go someplace where it is crowded or whenever we travel--just in case we get separated.

[sfa]

I remember that they told me my kids' blood type in the hospital when they were newborns, so your pediatrician should have that information. If not, don't bother; as others have said, they would run this test anyway for any patient seeking treatment.

[zoom-zoom]

We have Road ID's for both our kids (2 and 5). We use them whenever we go someplace where it is crowded or whenever we travel--just in case we get separated.

That's really smart! I like the slim ones, too, since they are kind of like the Livestrong bracelets and he could wear it all the time.

OK, so I guess the blood type isn't necessary. We'll just worry about the specific drug/allergy issues and contact info, then.

[FlyingScot]

ER nurse here. Blood type is totally unnecessary. We "type and cross" any trauma patient that comes in regardless of information provided on wallet cards or any ID/medical bracelet. If the patient needs immediate blood they are given O negative blood which is the universal donor type (we call it trauma blood). Medications, food or medicine allergies and significant past medical history are all that we need. Well, that and contact info.

[roadie gal]

ER nurse here. Blood type is totally unnecessary. We "type and cross" any trauma patient that comes in regardless of information provided on wallet cards or any ID/medical bracelet. If the patient needs immediate blood they are given O negative blood which is the universal donor type (we call it trauma blood). Medications, food or medicine allergies and significant past medical history are all that we need. Well, that and contact info.

ER doc here. 2+ on the above. Skip the blood type. Skip the cute sayings. The info that is the most helpful to us is medical problems, allergies and medications. Also put in as many contact numbers as possible.

[MichelleOH]

I thought I posted this once, but it seems to have vanished. (Or maybe the coffee is still kicking in...)

For the medical folks...what kind of ID bracelet/band/etc. will catch your attention first? I've heard the rubber bracelets are often overlooked because so many people wear them and they are most often personal cause bands. Is this true?

[zoom-zoom]

I thought I posted this once, but it seems to have vanished. (Or maybe the coffee is still kicking in...)

For the medical folks...what kind of ID bracelet/band/etc. will catch your attention first? I've heard the rubber bracelets are often overlooked because so many people wear them and they are most often personal cause bands. Is this true?

Hmmm...so maybe we should get our son the velcro one, then? I was thinking he could just wear the silicone one all the time, so it would be less likely to get lost.

Something everyone should be aware of is the likelihood of losing one's shoes when hit by a car, so the shoe tab Road IDs have a good chance of not serving their purpose. I have a runner friend who was hit by a car and a cyclist friend who had a car pull out in front of him as he rolled down a hill. Both guys lost their shoes.

[MichelleOH]

Not sure, Kirsten. Hope the nurses and docs have some advice/opinions. The person that told me about the rubber ID bands is a RN in a busy Dayton emergency room. I'm wondering, though, if that was just HER opinion or if it's true for most ER staff.

[PamNY]

While we're on the topic, another question -- is a penicillin allergy worth noting?
I'd also like to know what style of band medical people think is best.

[jessmarimba]

I'd include any allergies to medicine. Even if you haven't had a very severe reaction in the past, who knows what will happen next time. (for example, the last time I had sulfa was, oh, 20+ years ago. I got hives. But who knows what would happen if I had it again, so it's in all of my medical records and on my RoadID).

[Becky]

My rule of thumb is, "Is my condition/allergy/device going to influence how a medical professional takes care of me, or is it going to influence my ability to take care of myself?" If the answer to either is "Yes", then it goes on my medic alert or Road ID.

[Miranda]

I own two of the simple velcro versions that strap onto your wrist.

How I remember to wear my RoadID is by velcro-ing it to the straps of my helmet. I never ride without my helmet. Therefore, I put the helmet on and the RoadID at the same time. Oh, two IDs as I have two helmets I alternate between depending on which bike I'm riding. Trying to switch one ID between helmets just caused me to forget it. Thus, a second one was well worth in keeping with the routine.

Fwiw, I've had contact with their customer service person before in the past and it was a great experience. Love their compnay.:)

[roadie gal]

I think the velcro would be better than the silicon one. You're right, everyone has those bands these days. I would never think to look at a silicon band for medical info.

I would also skip anything not directly attached to your body ie the shoe tag or even the dog tag version. Clothing gets lost and necklaces get ripped or cut off. The ankle version seems good but it won't be seen as quickly as the wrist band.

Remember, the time you're going to need this is if you can't speak for yourself. You want it to be OBVIOUS to the paramedics and the ER people.

If you have any significant medical problems or just want more info available the interactive version looks great. I like that you can post a picture of yourself. That would be very helpful to the ER in identifying you. They can compare your Road ID to the actual picture for verification.

FWIW, I wear a Medic Alert tag because of my pacemaker. It has the same accessable info as the Road ID interactive, but without the picture capability.

In answer to another question, ANY medication allergy is worth noting. Food allergies aren't as big a deal EXCEPT for shellfish or iodine allergies. Those are important because some places still use contrast with an iodine base for CT scans. You should note those.