ICE Can Save Your Life
ICE is an acronym for "in case of emergency." Be prepared for any emergency situation by carrying your ICE information with you. Tucking this vital data into your wallet, purse, or cell phone can save your life. Wearing your ICE on a medical alert tag is advisable for those people suffering from chronic illness or severe medication allergies.
The CDC recommends listing your ICE information on your cell phones. Most cell phones offer to make ICE your 1st designated telephone contact. For people suffering from chronic illness, purchasing a cell phone with a prominently designated ICE button and a 911 button on the telephone keypad is an excellent safety measure. Icecontact.com is a world-wide campaign encouraging people to designate an ICE contact on their cell phones for emergency purposes. The Minnesota Sheriff’s Office encourages residents to put an ICE designated key on their telephone landlines and cell phones. Based on 2009 statistics, the US had 285,610,580 cell phone users. Think of the life-saving potential if cell phone users identified ICE on their phones.
Wearing a medical alert tag is only one option. The invisible bracelet (IB) organization will retain their members’ emergency medical information and provide it to emergency medical providers, upon request. Joining this ICE provider network gives members assurance that their ICE contacts will receive emails, text messages, and phone calls when transported to a hospital. Embedded radio frequency identification (RFID) can provide ICE information. The surgically implanted RFID chip is linked to an online health history database.
People encounter daily emergency situations. Emergency preparedness is critical for people taking immunosuppressant medications, having a rare disease diagnosis, and known medication allergies like Penicillin. Retaining your ICE information and medical alerts on your cell phone or displayed on a wrist bracelet could mean the difference in living or dying. It’s not enough to be transported quickly to a hospital. Many patients arrive at a hospital unconscious and alone without identification. Over 42 million Americans received emergency medical treatment for injury-related causes according to CDC recent statistics.
Without knowledge of a patient’s emergency medical history, a physician may not be able to provide timely medical intervention. It takes time to take blood samples and rush the samples to a laboratory for diagnosis. Contacting your ICE could rescue you and speed your diagnosis and recovery. Carrying ICE with you could save your life and others. Remember to include your organ donation preference on your ICE information. ICE – don’t leave home without it.
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