To provide emergency medical care to your child and help make quicker diagnoses and decisions the dispatcher, doctors, nurses and anyone caring for your child will have many questions.
It is very difficult in an emergency situation to remember all of this. Not to mention, if a family member or babysitter is unable to locate you they may not know this vital information.
Remember, every second counts in an emergency.
Take 20 to 30 minutes, sit down and write out a complete health history and place it in an easily accessible place either on your computer or in a notebook. Make sure everyone taking care of your child can find it quickly.
What do you need?
1. Your childs' birth history especially if he/she was born premature and had a hospital stay.
2. Allergies. List any allergies your child may have especially to medications.
3. List any medications your child is taking on a regular basis including the doses, times taken etc.
4. List any pre-existing illnesses such as diabetes, seizures, asthma etc.
5. Your childs' previous hospitalizations, reasons and surgeries.
6. Include an up to date record of immunizations. This is especially applicable if your child was bitten by an animal or had an embedded object or serious wound.
7. An updated height and weight. There may not be time to weigh or measure your child to calculate medications in an emergency. Poison control will also ask for this information.
8. Any special needs.
Other important information should include:
