Emergency & medical-ID glossary
Short, source-cited definitions of the terms you'll run into when building an emergency card, planning care for an elderly parent, or working with paramedics and ER staff. Written in plain language — not for clinicians, but for everyone else.
ICE contact (In Case of Emergency)
A labelled phone-contact or wallet-card entry that tells first responders who to call if you cannot speak for yourself.
POLST vs DNR
Both document end-of-life treatment preferences, but a POLST is a clinician-signed portable medical order with much broader scope than a stand-alone Do Not Resuscitate.
Vial of Life
A small container kept on or near a refrigerator with the resident's medical info inside, flagged by a sticker on the door or front window so EMS know to look.