Giving blood

[fatlaz]

You also have to wait a short period (at least a day) AFTER diving before they will take your blood. Does anyone know why this is? I have just assumed it is because of potential residual nitrogen but am open to suggestion / input / someone who actually knows about these things telling me the real reason

[Pach]

I've only just saw 'diving' in the high-risk work/ sport list the last time I went (last Nov). Was it there before?...

Anyway, I was told not to go to my pool session after donating... but donating and pool sessions are usually on the same day (Thu) ... Doesn't matter, it's only 3 times a year!

Didn't know about the donating after diving bit...

[ChristianG]

Originally Posted by Dave Crampton

The problem with Giving Blood is its self certification, and most people convince themselves they are fine, contrary to Medical advice. Your usually questioned on the answers you have given but lieing is easy

What, in your part of the world the donor is not put on a sphygmomanometer (BP measuring instrument)?

That's absurd, if only because there are too many humans that haven't a clue. So they see a questionnaire that asks whether they have high/low blood pressure and because they've never been informed otherwise, they say no.

That's an incident waiting for somewhere to happen.

[uwila]

Originally Posted by ChristianG

What, in your part of the world the donor is not put on a sphygmomanometer (BP measuring instrument)?

That's absurd, if only because there are too many humans that haven't a clue. So they see a questionnaire that asks whether they have high/low blood pressure and because they've never been informed otherwise, they say no.

That's an incident waiting for somewhere to happen.

Measuring BP just before donation is likely to give an artificially high value - White Coat Hypertension - due to stress. I am terrified of needles and feel faint even when watching a film of a doctor/nurse holding a syringe up to a patient. Every time I give blood I have to warn them of this fact in case I faint (it's only happened once as I always look away, but it was a goodie). My BP has never been low in these circumstances!

To get a true value for your BP, a series of values are needed over a whole day.

[rustferret]

its always work keeping your resus skills up to date I have had to give mouth to mouth on one occasion and came very close to it on a second, both some years ago. when I last did my EFR course I came across an accident on the way home so you never know.

Rustferret