Monday, 24 October 2011

Medic Alert Bracelet


Some time ago I read this article (http://cochlearimplantonline.com/site/?p=4076) which suggested that it was a good idea for anyone with a CI to get a Medic Alert identifier. The article talks about a case where a user had an accident and their processors were knocked off. They were also knocked unconscious and the hospital performed an MRI on them which ripped their implants out and destroyed their cochleas (meaning that they could not be re-implanted).
Low power MRIs are ok on CI users BUT the hospital needs to know there is an implant so they can bandage the users head. This secures the implant, preventing nasty stuff like this article talks about.
Anyway... the upshot of this is that I sorted a Medic Alert bracelet (as shown) for my daughter. It has the following etched into it:
BILATERAL COCHLEAR IMPLANTS/NO MRI SCAN
NO MONOPOLAR CAUTERY
HEARING IMPAIRED
Monopolar Cautery is an electrical device used in surgery to cauterize and uses the patients body as an earth, which again would be bad news for an implant.
Anyway, for a one off of $70 plus $30 every year after to keep an up-to-date electronic record linked to an ID number on the bracelet, it seems a good idea. Especially as my daughter starts school. There is a bit of form filling in required.

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