Transcript "Accident Victim-Biker"

 MedLifeCard
- Solutions for real
life problems
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Cost saving
Improved patient care
Motorcycle Accident
Sunday afternoon a call
comes into a Michigan ER
from paramedics at the
scene of an accident:
“This is unit 114 alerting
you that we are inbound
with a male motorcyclist
who was struck by a car at
an unknown speed.”
“He is unconscious and his
helmet is banged up a little
bit. His left leg looks
broken. His vital signs are
stable and we have him
immobilized on a
backboard to protect his
spine. We’ll be at your ER
in 5 minutes.”
On arrival in the ER
the patient is
evaluated by the
trauma team.
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He is still unconscious.
His left thigh is swollen
and deformed
He has bruising over the
left side of his chest
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His EKG shown an irregular heartbeat with an
abnormal heart block.
His blood count is low.
His head CT scans are normal.
X-rays of his left leg shows a femur fracture
which will require surgery.
He remains comatose.
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Meanwhile, the ER staff
attempts to locate his
family but no one
answers his home phone
in Wisconsin.
His driver’s license
identifies him as ‘Frank
Miller’.
However, in his wallet
Frank carries a
MedLifeCard.
The Emergency Physician
follows the instructions on the
card and accesses Mr. Miller’s
MedLifeCard account.
His medical file is downloaded
and printed.
His treating physician now has
Frank’s medical records
including copies of old EKG’s
and medications.
The Emergency Physician quickly scans the MedLifeCard printout:
“It says here that Mr. Miller has a history of atrial fibrillation
but no mention of a heart block. He takes Digoxin for that,
apparently, so let’s add a Digoxin level to his labs.
“His old EKG in his MedLifeCard file is also very
different from today’s EKG so let’s have Cardiology see
him before he goes to surgery. He may have a cardiac
contusion.
“He also has had seizures in the past and takes
Dilantin. Run a Dilantin level on that blood work, ok?
We don’t want him to have a seizure during surgery!”
The Emergency Physician continues reading the MedLifeCard file:
“Add these medications listed in his MedLifeCard file to
our ER record. He’s allergic to Penicillin, too.
“Here’s a phone number for his daughter who lives just
up the road in Lakeview. Let me give her a call…”
The Emergency Physician calls Frank’s daughter:
“Hello, is this Susan Carlisle? This is Dr. Kamhout from the
Emergency Department at General Hospital. Your father was
brought here after an accident on his motorcycle…Well, he’s
in serious but stable condition right now and is going to need
surgery…Yes, we know from his MedLifeCard about his heart
condition and the seizures, medications and allergies, too.
That was how we were able to contact you, in fact. Ok, call
your family members and I’ll see you when you get
here…Goodbye.”