Judith...
Thanks for the "Heads up!" This is one of the
chores I've been meaning to do but kept putting off.
When I had surgery a coupla-three months ago
I handwrote (which in itself was a major chore,
considering how difficult THAT'S become) a list of
my meds and the times I was to take them, which
was REALLY stupid on my part (and I knew it at
the time, but STILL did it that way!)
Really DUMB, Barbie, DUMB!
Barb Mallut
[log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: judith richards <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wednesday, August 18, 1999 3:22 PM
Subject: Carrying Your Medical History
Hopkins: Carrying Your Medical History
August 18, 1999
BALTIMORE (Johns Hopkins) - If you're ever rushed to the
emergency room, unconscious or unable to speak clearly, what
would you like the medical team to know about you?
Doctors and nurses need certain information. Helping them get it
can mean faster and more accurate medical decisions. On a card
or piece of paper in your wallet, here's what the pros would like
to know: name and date of birth; name and phone of primary
physician if you have one; previous hospitalizations and
surgeries; any medications you take; and family medical history,
especially things like cancer, diabetes and heart trouble. It
may seem like a lot, but it's worth it.
"As much information as a patient can give us about their medical
history, the better it is for them. Because it's all pieces of a
puzzle [that] help us determine what's going on at the time and
how we can treat them and make them feel better," says Jean Marie
Lucas, clinical nurse specialist for the Johns Hopkins Emergency
Department.
Lucas says some people are hesitant to share their habits and
histories on paper. But she reminds patients that hospitals are
there to help, not judge.
Copyright 1999 The Johns Hopkins University. All rights
reserved.
Judith Richards, London, Ontario, Canada
[log in to unmask]
^^^^
\ /
\ | / Today’s Research
\\ | // ...Tomorrow’s Cure
\ | /
\|/
`````
