Photo by Paul Keleher
Imagine the scenario. It's midnight, your child has been up screaming for hours, and you finally make the decision to take them to the Emergency Room. You're bleary-eyed and off your game as you answer about a million questions about your child.
While I can't keep you out of the emergency room, I can help ease a little bit of the stress. You need to create a Hospital Cheat Sheet. A hospital cheat sheet is a list of important facts about you child. When you're stressed and sleep-deprived you might not remember when your child had that surgery or the fact that he passed a swallow study three months ago, so a cheat sheet can really help you out. Nobody wants to play detective when your child is sick, so do everything you can to streamline the process.
The easiest way to make a cheat sheet is to wait until a time when you're calm and stress-free (as stress free as you can get), and follow these steps:
- You want to briefly write down your child's medical history – bullet form is great.
- Put down your child's weight at birth, how many weeks gestation they were at birth, and any extenuating circumstances.
- If they were on the ventilator for any time, then write down how many days.
- If your child stayed in the hospital after birth, write down any major events or surgeries and the date they occurred.
- Include any tests performed and the results, including EEGs, EKGs, ultasounds, etc.
- As your child ages, add any diagnoses they receive.
- Write down any food or medication allergies.
- Write down the medications they are currently taking.
- Put their primary diagnosis and any major surgeries in bold-face type.
After you're satisfied with your list, print out a copy and stick it in your purse or wallet. The next time you find yourself in an emergency with your child, just pull out your sheet and hand it to the first nurse or doctor you meet. Don't be surprised if they make a couple of copies.
Being prepared if/when an emergency arises will decrease your stress and help the medical staff best treat your child.
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Excellent advice, Katy. My sibling does this for our elderly mother, too. A copy of her many meds list goes with her wherever she goes.
Very good advice! Also under medications, you might want to right down the dosages and the times that it is given and how, ie: with food, milk, empty stomach, etc. Last dose given, so that the treating physician doesn't given more than necessary.
Good idea! I'll be passing this post on to some friends.