Ambulance Paramedic Trainer says 'My staff are On Guard'
Fred Wenlock - Education & Training Manager
North West Ambulance Service N.H.S. Trust
When I teach new students one of the sessions that I do is called "examination of the unconscious casualty". This is a complete head to toe survey of the patient and at two of the points it is emphasised that checks should be made for any MedicAlert necklaces or bracelets. This could be one of the prime reasons for the casualty being unconscious and it could also point us down a specific care pathway. Not only are MedicAlert emblems valuable for indicating what medical conditions or medications the patient may be on, but especially because they might indicate any allergies that the patient might have which would conflict with a treatment we may be considering.
The presentation that you sent me along with the example bracelet and necklace have been used in conjunction with the above session and in scenario work enabling new students to make clinical judgments. So from my point of view they are an important resource. They help me ensure that my staff are ‘On Guard'.
