Mount Auburn Healthcare Connection

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Imagine that you come into the emergency department with symptoms of a heart attack. As the emergency department personnel try to assess your situation, it’s important for them to know what medications you regularly take. For instance, if you have high blood pressure, the emergency staff needs to know if you take blood pressure reduction medication before prescribing a similar drug. If you come into the emergency department with a condition that might require surgery, it would be helpful to know if you are taking blood thinning drugs, which could cause excessive bleeding during surgery. There are many reasons why it’s a good idea for the emergency department to understand the medications you take.

“If you come to the emergency department with a list of the medications you regularly take, along with how often you take them, why you take them, and their dosages, this will be very helpful as we diagnose your condition and plan your care,” says Jeanne Donovan, R.N., emergency department nurse manager at Mount Auburn Hospital.

Information on medications is key when considering the potential drug interactions and side effects that might occur with treatments the emergency department may prescribe. It’s also possible the symptoms you are experiencing may be related to medication side effects so it’s critical for emergency medicine physicians to consider your medications when trying to diagnose your condition. Medications are also important when considering continuity of care so that you can continue on your regular medication regimen.

Ms. Donovan suggests that the ideal approach is to be prepared ahead of time and carry all your medication information with you in case you unexpectedly need medical attention. The time to prepare this information is when you are feeling good and not distracted by a sickness or injury that might take you to the emergency department.

Mount Auburn Hospital makes organizing this information easy for you by providing medication cards that list the information the emergency department needs, including the medications you take, how often you take them, why you take them, their dosages, and also any allergies you may have. You can pick up a card at the reception desk in Mount Auburn Hospital’s emergency department.

On your list of medications, make sure you include prescribed drugs and over-the-counter drugs along with any herbal medications, vitamins, or nutritional supplements you may take. You should also make sure that you know the brand as well as the generic names of the drugs you take since it’s possible that you may be double-dosing on the same drug even though the drugs have different names. This is especially possible if you have more than one physician or pharmacy. In addition, you should also know if a new medication you are taking is replacing a drug you have previously taken or if it is in addition to your regular medication regimen.

Keeping your list accurate and up-to-date should be part of your ongoing responsibility for your own health. If you are a caregiver or family member of an elderly or disabled person, then keeping that person’s list current is also important.

Mount Auburn Hospital is committed to patient safety and is moving toward a patient medication database for reconciling a patient’s medications. The goal is that each time a patient comes to the emergency department, or changes a setting in the hospital, a complete list of the medications prescribed can be accurately reconciled and available to medical personnel as they make decisions about patient care.

Ms. Donovan says, “In the emergency department, we strive to be your partners in health care. The more information you can provide, the more complete a picture we will have of your overall health and the more quickly we can expedite the care you need. While it’s very helpful if you do have a medication list with you, the most important thing is to come to he emergency department when you believe you need care.”