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Medical alert bracelets are one of the best ways for people living with medical conditions and allergies to stay safe while on the go. In the event of a fall, accident or medical emergency, strangers can consult your bracelet to learn your personal information, from your name to the medication you’re on.
But there is only so much space available for engraving a medical bracelet. With limited space, abbreviations come into serious assistance. But what are the most common and helpful abbreviations for medical alert bracelets?
People living with medical conditions should list their conditions on their alert bracelet. Whether it’s a diabetes or Alzheimer's ID bracelet, having your condition listed could potentially save your life. A medical professional will be able to act accordingly once they see your medical ailments, knowing what treatments to avoid and which to focus on.
The following are useful abbreviations for people living with medical conditions:
Alzheimer's disease: ALZ
Aortic valve replacement: AVR
Arteriosclerotic heart disease: AHD
Atrial Fibrillation: A-Fib
Automatic implantable cardiac defibrillator: AICD
Autism Spectrum Disorder: ASD
Bipolar Affective Disorder: BPAD
Blood Pressure: BP
Borderline personality disorder: BPD
Crohn's disease: CD
Cerebral Palsy: CP
Cancer: CA
Chronic kidney disease: CKD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: COPD
Chronic obstructive lung disease: COLD
Chronic obstructive airways disease: COAD
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia: CAH
Congestive heart failure: CHF
Coronary artery disease: CAD
Coronary heart disease: CHD
Cystic fibrosis: CF
Deep vein thrombosis: DVT
Diabetic ketoacidosis: DKA
Diabetes mellitus: DM
Down syndrome: DS
Difficulty of breathing: DOB
Fibromyalgia syndrome: FMS
Hypertension: HTN
Hepatitis A virus: HAV
Hepatitis B virus: HBV
Hepatitis C virus: HCV
Human immunodeficiency virus: HIV
Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: IDDM
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura: ITP
Mitral stenosis; multiple sclerosis: MS
Mitral valve prolapse: MVP
Small airways disease: SAD
Schizophrenia: SCZ
Ulcerative colitis: UC
Allergy bracelets are an important accessory for anyone who lives with serious allergies. Common abbreviations for allergies include writing “NO” or “ALGY” before whatever you’re allergic to. It being written out is imperative, as it will let a bystander or medical professional understand: a) what you can’t take; or b) what you may have come into contact with, hinting that you had an allergic reaction.
Abbreviations/words (preceded by NO or ALGY) can include:
PCN (Penicillin)
MORPHINE
OPIOIDS
SHELLFISH
BEES
NUTS
INSECT STINGS
LATEX
It’s equally important to list what medications you are on. Why? In one part, it can allow a medical professional to know what medical ailments you might have; otherwise, it could inform a physician or doctor that your medical emergency could be due to serious side effects. For example, people prescribed Warfarin (Coumadin, Jantoven), a drug that prevents blood clots, can result in serious side effects.
The following medications are ones that are important to list:
Acetaminophen: APAP
Antibiotic: ATB
Aspirin: ASA
Cephalosporin: CEPH
Codeine: COD
Corticosteroids: CS
Doxycycline: DOXY
Epinephrine: EPI
Auto-injector epinephrine pen: EPIPEN
Erythromycin ethylsuccinate: EES
Hydrocortisone: HC
Non-steroidal: NSAID
Nitroglycerin: NTG
Phenobarbital: PB
Penicillin: PCN
Tetracycline: TCN
Triamcinolone: TAC
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For some individuals, they should make it apparent what types of treatment and resuscitation methods they can, cannot and do not want to undergo. These decisions can be due to medical conditions, religious beliefs or personal preference. They include:
No contrast dye: NO CT
Nothing by mouth: NPO
NO MRI
No chest x-rays: NO CXR
Basic life support okay: BLS
Do not intubate: DNI
Do not resuscitate: DNR
Don't hospitalize: DNH
Do not attempt cardiopulmonary resuscitation: DNACPR
You can also help a medical professional by making them aware of any serious medical treatments you have had done, including:
Intrauterine device in place: IUD
Bilateral total knee replacement: BTKR
Total hip replacement: THR
Total knee replacement: TKR
Coronary artery bypass graft surgery: CABG
Your medical alert bracelet should feature your most important information, things that identify you and can help a medical professional treat you if you are unconscious or cannot speak. These include:
It’s important you use abbreviations on your bracelet, too, especially if you have a lot to list.
Unsure of what to have engraved? Talk to your primary care physician to know what your most pertinent medical information is. With that, you can effectively engrave your medical alert bracelet, allowing you to carry your medical information with you wherever you go.
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