Donating blood: why no gloves?

S

Stefanmuller

Expert Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2008
Messages
2,924
Reaction score
128
Location
Durbanville
I have been donating blood about three times a year for the past three years, and never have I seen anyone from WP Blood Services wear any gloves. This include the person who pricks your finger, squeeses out the blood onto the test disk to the guy prepping you arm and taking out the needle afterwards and pressing a piece of cotton to stop the bleeding hole, to the nurse who puts in the needle, and to the guys who handle the blood packs and test vials. I checked it out again today. I am not sure if I should feel better or worry about it. I mean, they handle blood as the main objective, and lots of it. And lots of people at a time. At any one time there are at least 15 beds occupied and sometimes you have to wait your turn. Are they not wearing gloves to convey the message that my blood is safe and that blood overall is not dangerous? If I volunteer to do the job I would like to wear gloves, as I care not to put myself at risk of infection no matter how slight the chance. So do thdy not care about themselves, which is OK but if they dont care about themselves how much to they care about my safety? Just wondering.
 
Maybe they are all already HIV+?

I'm taking a shot in the dark here, but I think it is because it would cost a small fortune to keep changing gloves for every patient/donor.
 
My mom doesn't wear gloves when she does blood tests or even the nurses at her work so I think its the normal practise to not use gloves.

Not sure why when they working with infectious stuff
 
Stefanmuller said:
So do thdy not care about themselves, which is OK but if they dont care about themselves how much to they care about my safety? Just wondering.
Click to expand...
hmmm never paid attention to it. Aside from the needles I'm not particularly concerned about anything. I'd imagine that blood borne pathogens aren't easily transferable unless the nurse has a cut/open wound.

If the staff is competent then there isn't really any blood anyway...like half a drop that hits the cotton thing.

I know that when both the nurse & patient's skin is accidentally pierced by a needle they nuke the hell out of the medical staff with ARVs & antibiotics etc just to be one the safe side.

MyWorld said:
I think it is because it would cost a small fortune to keep changing gloves for every patient/donor.
Click to expand...
Not really. They cost about 50c per pair (bulk). Given that blood is charged for at a couple hundred Rand I think they could squeeze the extra 50c in.

Stefanmuller said:
If I volunteer to do the job I would like to wear gloves, as I care not to put myself at risk of infection no matter how slight the chance.
Click to expand...
I'd imagine that medical staff just learns to deal with it. Being exposed to disease kinda comes with the territory when working in hospitals.
 
No, but seriously? They already use three vials, two bags, a pin prick, a needle, and several clamps per donor, as well as cookies and fruit juice. Surely even entry level gloves should be catered for? You cant force the volunteers to go glove free. They handle several donors blood per hour, and also bind it off afterwards, snip off excess tubing and squeese the blood stuck in the tubing into the bag and handle the wastes. Then the come over to me and take out my needle and put cotton on my needle wound and press on it with their naked hands. How do I know there arent traces of blood from the previous donor being transferred to my vein that has just been punctured via the cotton?

If they cant ensure the most basic of hygiene (wearing gloves, firstly for their own safety) how much vigilence is given to safety concerning the donors?
 
If you're that paranoid then don't volunteer. Really has everyone gone OCD these days? Besides if you had really been paying attention you would have noticed that they clean and disinfect their hands regularly, plus they go to town disinfecting the area of your arm where they stick the needle.
 
Glove won't help for a needle prick and you probably find they have more 'feel' without the gloves so handling things better when working with you. Your fingers are incredibly sensitive and provide good tactile feedback.
 
A quick google search seems to reveal that this is standard practice world wide.

Paranoia such as that mentioned in the OP has in fact resulted in donor shortages in the UK as donors are turned away if a vein cannot be found as a new ruling means they cannot tap the patients arm without gloves on! And most mobile clinics don't use gloves.

You can also read about a number of nurses discussing the lack of feel with gloves on and difficulty in finding veins : http://www.practicenursing.co.uk/forum/pop_printer_friendly.asp?TOPIC_ID=13134
 
I'm a fairly regular donor at the Atterbury branch (Pretoria). I have no idea whether they wear gloves or not - I think they might, but I'm not sure. I can attest to them really being paranoid about donor safety, though. They've refused me before simply because they overheard my friend and myself discussed an exam that we were writing the next day. I've never felt that they lack professionalism, or that they are careless.

*Edit:
I've recently asked one of the nurses if they actually get people using SANBS as an HIV testing facility. She replied that they get many people doing that, especially during week-days. So they don't trust you not to have HIV, and they will handle each patient with due diligence.
 
Last edited:
I am by no means paranoid, I just find it strange as the are working with blood and these days we are so used to doctors and medical personnel wearing gloves. It is something I noticed immediately and I am yet to see a single person from blood services wearing gloves. I doubt it is about sensitivity, otherwise surgeons would also go gloveless. Unless patient risk of infection is too high. Even my doctor uses gloves when drawing blood. I also agree the blood people are very professional and do disinfect regularly. I just wouldnt do it if I were them. So it must be part of their regulations.
 
Tacet said:
I can attest to them really being paranoid about donor safety, though.
Click to expand...
Yeah they don't even trust other offices. e.g. You need to complete 3x donations before they even consider adding your blood to the pool. If one of those is given in GP and the other in another province they toss it...not counted as part of the 3x.

Tacet said:
I've recently asked one of the nurses if they actually get people using SANBS as an HIV testing facility. She replied that they get many people doing that, especially during week-days. So they don't trust you not to have HIV, and they will handle each patient with due diligence.
Click to expand...
sigh. People ffs.

btw How much is an AIDS test anyway? (My med aid covers doc ordered blood test no questions asked...so I don't know).
 
HavocXphere said:
Yeah they don't even trust other offices. e.g. You need to complete 3x donations before they even consider adding your blood to the pool. If one of those is given in GP and the other in another province they toss it...not counted as part of the 3x.


sigh. People ffs.

btw How much is an AIDS test anyway? (My med aid covers doc ordered blood test no questions asked...so I don't know).
Click to expand...

I think people may go for a blood donation not because the HIV test is free, but because it is a way to know you are negative without the effort and stigma (rather moral nervousness) of making an appointment for an official test. Plus your blood goes for a good cause. As far as I know they have to inform you if you are positive, or at the very least the will not allow you to donate the next time you go. So it is a way of knowing you are safe, but I certainly wont use them as a green light if I have any reason to be worried. I have donated 9 units thus far, so not a lot. Yesterday I had some trouble stopping bleeding hence that I noticed the no-glove policy as they were pressing on my arm while there were quite a bit of blood(or at least very high risk that they are coming in contact with it). Donating is really easy and painless, just like gym it is just a case of getting yourself there to donate.
 
ponder said:
Think it's free at gov. clinics.
Click to expand...
Lets assume private..say Lancet labs.

I just checked the pathology forms Discovery uses...no pricing on their. The Lancet ones do though (or did).

If nobody know...no worries I'll just ask next time I go for blood tests.
 
HavocXphere said:
Lets assume private..say Lancet labs.

I just checked the pathology forms Discovery uses...no pricing on their. The Lancet ones do though (or did).

If nobody know...no worries I'll just ask next time I go for blood tests.
Click to expand...

A pharmacy/GP/nurse can do it. Its a rapid test that requires a few drops of blood and is cheap. If you go to a lab they will might think you want the antigen test which is very expensive, as thats the only done in rare cases now a days.

@ the no gloves thing

they suppose to use gloves yes but if you think about it its pointless, this is why many experienced staff dont use gloves anymore for drawing blood. Say you using the gloves, what happens is that firstly, although thin, they impede your accuracy slightly. Secondly since they are so thin if they slip that glove is not stopping anything.

With regard to hygiene and germs, a needle prick is too small to become a problem provided they swab the area with surgical alcohol

What you must be vigilant for is making sure all equipment is opened from their sterile packaging infront of you and you SEE them opening it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X