Emergency cards

Carte Hernie diaphragmatique congenitale specimen

The emergency card is a personal and nominative card, in a "credit card" format, which includes all of the main health information related to the patient's rare disease. It is specific to a given rare disease, and enables appropriate treatment during emergency care.

This tool has been implemented as part of the National Rare Disease Plan following a request from DGOS (French General Directorate of Health Care Provision). 

What does the emergency card include?

Emergency cards are created based on a template validated by the Ministry of Health. The specific content is drafted in collaboration with physicians from rare disease centres and patients associations.

Each card contains information and essential recommendations to use in case of an emergency, such as:

  • Emergency contact information;
  • Contact information of the physician(s);
  • Contact information of the centre in which the patient is treated;
  • Personal information related to treatment and allergies;
  • Main recommendations in treating the pathology in case of an emergency.

The patient must keep their emergency card on their person, in order for anyone treating them to have all of the information and recommendations to follow in order to treat the patient under the best conditions in an emergency situation. 

Which emergency cards are available?

Within the FIMATHO network, the following emergency cards are available:

  • Oesophageal achalasia card drapeau fancais drapeau anglais
  • Congenital diaphragmatic hernia card drapeau fancais drapeau anglais
  • Oesophageal atresia card drapeau fancais drapeau anglais
  • Gastrojejunostomy card drapeau fancais
  • Parenteral nutrition card drapeau fancais
  • Hereditary pancreatitis card drapeau fancais drapeau anglais
  • Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction drapeau fancais 

Who issues emergency cards?

Emergency cards are distributed only by physicians from the reference and competence centres of the FIMATHO network. The referring physician fills them out and gives them to the patient during consultations.

Do not hesitate to request one during your next consultation.

Find the centre closest to you.

Reference/competence centres, how to acquire these cards?

Emergency cards are available upon request from the FIMATHO network.

You may order them by email at fimatho@chru-lille.fr by specifying the desired card(s), the quantity and by specifying your contact information.

Emergency sheets

The Orphanet website offers a collection of practical recommendations for the treatment of patients suffering from a rare disease and requiring emergency medical care.

These emergency sheets are intended for emergency doctors, whether intervene at the site of an emergency (through SAMU, the French emergency service) or in hospital emergency rooms.

These recommendations have been developed with the rare disease reference centres, the Société française de médecine d'urgence (SFMU, the French Society of Emergency Medicine), Agence de biomédecine (ABM or French Biomedicine Agency) and patients associations.

Orphanet Urgences is a project of the National Rare Disease Plan.

Emergency sheets available for pathologies of the network are as follows: