In an emergency, time and accuracy are of the essence. Though that is true for everyone, those with spondyloarthritis have an especially pressing need for emergency preparedness.
Fusion in the spine, combined with an increased risk of osteoporosis, puts many with spondyloarthritis at 11 times greater risk of spinal fracture.
Possible spinal fusion, combined with an increased risk of osteoporosis, means that even minor falls and jolts may fracture the spine. More so, standard treatment and handling protocols used by first responders in emergency settings can cause severe injury and disability in those with spondyloarthritis.
Read on for tips for ensuring that emergency medical providers will have the information they need to provide the safest and most effective care in an emergency situation, even if you are unconscious and can’t communicate that you have spondyloarthritis.
First Responder Information Card
Be prepared for emergency situations with SAA’s first responder information card. Please print, fold, and keep this card in your wallet, to assist first responders in safely caring for you in the event of a medical emergency. You can also email us at info@spondylitis.org to request a hard copy card.
Our thanks to Novartis for their financial support of this wallet card through an educational grant.
Letter to First Responders
The SAA has developed a letter to spread awareness to first responders about the risks associated with treating people with spondyloarthritis. Personalize and print this letter and send it to your local emergency medical services agency to encourage EMTs, paramedics, and other first responders to take our free courses on safe methods for treating people with SpA
ER Flyer
The SAA has developed an informational sheet about spondyloarthritis that you can bring to an ER to help emergency care providers gain a basic working knowledge of the condition, the medications you take and how they work, and risks associated with SpA in an emergency setting. This flyer may help ease the way for you to receive effective and safer care.
Patient Medical History Form
The SAA has developed a letter template that you can complete with your doctors to document your treatment and typical levels of pain and functioning. After working on the document with your rheumatologist or primary care physician, you can present it to emergency care providers to give them an understanding of how you typically function, as it may differ from how you present upon arrival to the ER.
Bruce Pierce, an advocate for the SpA community, discusses how his family turned a tragedy into an opportunity to educate first responders and anesthesiologists about the special risks, care procedures, along with self-advocacy suggestions for patients with SpA
Introducing, “EMS Pitfalls: Ankylosing Spondylitis,” SAA’s free, online course offering continuing education hours!
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