Wow! As a 30 year veteran of Epilepsy AND a Paramedic who has worked the streets for the past 17 years, I am a little disheartened by the 16 pages of posts that I just read through. I will try to be gentle.
I understand that everyone has had their own experiences (real or perceived) but the question is......what can we do about the apparent "disconnect" between medical personnel and persons with Epilepsy (as well as those with other conditions such as diabetics, cardiac problems, allergies, altered mental status problems, etc.)? I have read a lot of negative stuff in this thread regarding EMT's. As a medical professional, I would hope that if someone from my company stole a medic alert tag or money, that they would be reported because they certainly do not belong in this profession. I would also hope that just because of one bad experience with an EMT, that all EMT's aren't labeled as dumb or whatever negative word is used to describe them. Unfortunately, we do have pastors who commit sex crimes, cops who beat their wives and doctors who commit insurance fraud but that does that make all of them bad.
Re: medic alert tag not being used by EMT's or nurses. How can someone who just had a seizure know for sure if the EMT, nurse or doctor did or didn't look at their medic alert tag? If you were seizing, unresponsive or were in a postictal fog then they could have. I know when I see one on my job, it takes me only a few seconds and I am done. I don't go dancing around announcing to the world that I have read the patients tag. You simply note it and go on.
When I am called to a "person having a seizure" or "person unresponsive", if it is not obviously apparent when I get to the patient that it is epilepsy related (ex: mom states that son has epilepsy, forgot his meds and had a seizure), then I have to rule out many things such as diabetes, cardiac, stroke, trauma, simple fainting, airway problems, heat emergency, pregnancy, drugs, alcohol, psycogenic, faking (yes, in the real world people do fake seizures from time to time), etc. EMT's have protocols that they are required to follow and I would say, a large majority of the time, my treatment will be the same regardless of the presence of a medic alert tag or not. We treat the patient and not the tag if that makes sense.
Protocols differ from state to state and county but in my state, and in reference to transporting(or not) patients who have had a seizure, it basically says:
If patient clears completely and does not request transport, is taking his medications, has his own physician and is experiencing his usual frequency of seizures, transport may be unnecessary. Document patient’s mental status and have patient sign a refusal form.
Any deviation from that and most likely the patient will be transported as a precaution for their own safety and not so the company can make money. Note that the actual treatment protocol for seizures is a good page and a half long. So is the one for altered mental status.
If someone doesn't want to go to the hospital, all they have to do is refuse and sign the release. If an EMS crew transports you against your will, that is kidnapping unless you are a danger to yourself or others. Again, state laws differ. Become familiar with yours. EMS should advise you of the dangers of not going to ER and make sure that you fully understand the possible consequences of not being evaluated by a physician. If you are not awake or are still seizing after the length of time it takes bystanders to call 911, get an ambulance to you and get an assessment done by the EMT's then you probably should go to the hospital anyway. Let's look at this another way-- Let's say that John had a seizure and the EMT's came and assessed Johns vitals. John still had altered mental status (probably aggressive postictal fog) and refused transport. The EMT's were not able to get John to sign a refusal but they left anyway. After EMT's left, John started seizing again. He was alone (or maybe his mom had jumped in the shower) and he died from aspiration, hypoxia or from just because it was his time to go. After Johns family gets through dragging the EMT's and the ambulance company through court for abandonment/neglegance, the EMT no longer has a job and the company is bankrupt. And rightly so because they were not doing their job.
Many times, local EMS companies or volunteer fire departments welcome persons who are concerned about their medical problems to stop by and visit. Get to know the folks who will be caring for you if there is an emergency and talk to them about your concerns. This may be more difficult with larger companies but in small towns it is very possible. Who knows, you may even end up as a volunteer.
I remember when I was 15 years old and had my first seizure. My mom called 911 and I went to the ER, still unresponsive, by ambulance. Scared my mom to death. When I awoke in the ER, one of the first questions they asked me was "had I been drinking or taking any drugs?". Of course, I had not and was highly offended that they even thought that of me. However, now that I am on the other side of the fence as a Medic, I understand and this is one thing that I consider with seizure/altered mental status patients. I would not be doing my job correctly if I didin't. These questions are in our treatment protocols....second sentence from the top to be exact.
Re: patients wearing medic alert tags: I estimate that maybe 1% of the seizure patients that I see actually wears an alert bracelet or necklace. They are not that common. We sometimes recommend to folks to stick a piece of paper on their refrigerator with their name, birth date, address, meds, medical history, allergies, doctors, emergency contact info and any other pertinent info. Stick a copy in your wallet/purse and car and keep it updated.
Re: USB/computer cards with medical info....Although I would not rule out having one on my possession, I would say that most EMS services do not have the technology or time to do hook up a computer card when dealing with someone who is seizing or unresponsive.
Many good questions and comments were brought up and I surely hope that I did not offend anyone by voicing my 2 cents. By the way, EMT's and Paramedics do not like to be called "ambulance drivers". That is the same as calling your neurologist an LPN.:roflmao:
Oh, and to answer the original question, "Medic Alert Bracelets - Do you wear one?" No, I don't but I really do need to get one since I live alone and have recently had a break through.
