In a medical emergency, seconds matter. Paramedics and emergency doctors need specific information about you immediately — information that can directly determine the treatment they give. If you're unconscious, confused or unable to communicate, that information has to be available without you.
An emergency health card is a simple, standardised document — digital or physical — that puts the critical facts where first responders can find them quickly.
Blood type
If you need a transfusion urgently and your blood type isn't known, emergency departments use O-negative blood — the universal donor — as a default. O-negative is scarce. Knowing your blood type in advance allows the right match to be given faster and preserves the supply of O-negative for patients where it's truly the only option.
Include both blood group (A, B, AB, O) and Rh factor (positive or negative).
Critical allergies
Drug allergies — particularly to antibiotics like penicillin, to NSAIDs, or to contrast dye used in imaging — can cause severe or fatal reactions if a clinician doesn't know about them before prescribing or administering. This is the single most important safety information on your card.
List any allergy that has caused a moderate or severe reaction, and include the reaction type if you know it (rash, anaphylaxis, respiratory distress). Don't list mild intolerances here — that risks diluting the urgency of the real allergies.
Current medications
Several medication classes significantly affect emergency treatment decisions. Blood thinners (anticoagulants like warfarin or apixaban) mean that certain procedures carry higher bleeding risk. Insulin means glucose management is active. Immunosuppressants change infection risk. Steroids affect how the body responds to stress.
List at minimum: name, dose and frequency for any high-risk medications. If the full list is long, prioritise anticoagulants, antiplatelets, antiepileptics, insulin, chemotherapy, immunosuppressants and antipsychotics.
Key medical conditions
Active or chronic conditions that directly affect treatment decisions belong here: diabetes, epilepsy, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, bleeding disorders, organ transplant, dialysis dependence. These tell the team what baseline to work from and what complications to anticipate.
Emergency contact
Include the name, relationship and mobile number of the person who should be contacted — and who has the authority to make decisions if you're incapacitated. If you have an advance directive or a lasting power of attorney for health decisions, note that it exists and where to find it.
GP or treating physician contact
For patients with complex or unusual medical histories, being able to quickly reach the clinician who knows you best can prevent errors and speed up decision-making. A phone number for your GP practice or specialist is worth including.
Keeping it current
An outdated emergency card can be worse than no card — if it lists medications you've stopped or allergies that were later disproven, it introduces confusion. Review it every time your medications change and at least once a year.
Looms Emergency Card pulls from your Looms health profile automatically — blood type, allergies, medications and emergency contact — and generates a QR code that first responders can scan for instant access. It works without a login, and you can regenerate the QR code at any time.