If you have diabetes and use insulin, consider wearing a medical I.D. bracelet (medical identification bracelet). No one plans to have a medical emergency, but it's a good idea to be prepared for one.

Medical I.D. bracelets are an excellent way to expedite treatment and avoid misdiagnosis during an emergency. Paramedics are trained to look for medical I.D. bracelets.

Both high and low blood sugar can lead to unconsciousness, coma, seizures and death. If emergency care personnel need to look through your wallet or purse for a medical I.D., treatment may be delayed. And if a person is behaving oddly or has lost consciousness, bystanders are more likely to call for help if they recognize that the problem is medical, rather than related to drugs or alcohol.

Medical I.D. bracelets don't have to be ugly. Many attractive medical I.D. bracelet options exist. Check at your local pharmacy, or do an online search for medical I.D. bracelets. You might be surprised by your options!

Peggy

 

Do you have questions about medical devices you use at home? There are many such devices, from ventilators to blood pressure monitors.

Learn more during a 30-minute webinar hosted by the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. An FDA expert will discuss how FDA plans to address the increased use of medical devices in the home and will talk briefly about the new technology that is focusing on self-care and self-monitoring.

The public will have an opportunity to ask questions following the presentation.

When: Thursday, July 28, 2011, at 2:00 p.m. (ET)

Length: 30 minutes

Where: To join the webinar, see the instructions here

Host: FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health

Featured speaker: Mary Brady, senior policy analyst in the Office of the Center Director, Center for Devices and Radiological Health

This webinar is part of a series of online sessions hosted by different FDA centers and offices. The series is part of FDA Basics, a Web-based resource aimed at helping the public better understand what the agency does.

This article appears on FDA's Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.