The Addison Card is here!
A Norwegian emergency card for patients with Addison’s disease is now finally ready. Primarily, the card is meant to be a support for the patients in contact with physicians and other healthcare professionals in cases of serious injury or illness. Or, in other words, the cards are supposed to represent knowledge and security for healthcare workers facing Addison patients, says Martina M. Erichsen, senior consultant at the Medical Department, Haukeland University Hospital.
Martina M. Erichsen Foto: Berta Styve Lid
-This is something we have felt a great need for and worked with for a long time, she continues. In general, we know that Addison patients as a group are very well informed about their illness, their situation and treatment. But facing healthcare professionals, often in a critical situation, they experience difficulties regarding treatment. This group has a chronic illness, comparable to diabetes. Our aim is for them to know - and to be understood and heard - when they urgently need to be given cortisol and fluid in the form of saline solution. We believe that the patient card can be a good tool.
Tried before
The patient cards are completed and ready for distribution. This is a direct result of the four-year EU project Euradrenal ending these days. The Norwegian card has an identical Swedish version with the text in English on one side. The card is expected to be translated to more European languages.
-Developing a separate card that patients suffering from Addison's disease can carry, has been tried before, several times. Experiences so far have been mixed. But the purpose has always been clear: The card will support and help the patient when meeting healthcare professionals - and accordingly help the physician to give the patient the proper treatment. A kind of double protection, says Dr. Erichsen. A presentation of the Addison card has now been published in the journal of the Norwegian Medical Association, authored by Martina M. Erichsen.
The Norwegian Addison Card
Last updated 31.1.2013
Nyheter fra Section for Endocrinology
- The Addison Card is here! (19.06.2012)
- Grant from The Norwegian Research Council on Addison’s disease (07.12.2011)
- Addison's disease
- Endocrinology