Giving Blood

godtabh · 19-12-2005 1:55pm #1

Not sure if this is the right place but anyways.

Hoping to give blood today. Have done it a few times so no question on what happens etc.

Thing is I have a snifle. I checked out their web site and says you shouldnt give blood if you have a cold.

I dont fell like I have a cold. DO you reckon they'll turn me away? Tried rining them but phone wasnt picked up.

Dermington · 19-12-2005 1:58pm

There is no harm in not giving blood this time because you are not sure. It would be worse if you did give blood and it turned out you did have a cold.

That being said giving blood with a cold is bad for the doner too. So think about yourself. Maybe losing a pint of blood and having a cold puts extra strain on your immune system...

xzanti · 19-12-2005 1:59pm

Its probably as much for your own benefit that you dont give blood when sick, your probably weak enough as it is.. If I were you id wait till I was better but Im not a doctor so dont quote me on that..

Is there not a website that you could go and have a look at??

danniemcq · 19-12-2005 2:00pm

personally i wouldn't risk it, even though you may not feel that bad the person that recieves your blood may already be very weak and may have a different/worse reaction to the blood

godtabh · 19-12-2005 2:03pm

xzanti wrote:

Its probably as much for your own benefit that you dont give blood when sick, your probably weak enough as it is.. If I were you id wait till I was better but Im not a doctor so dont quote me on that..

Is there not a website that you could go and have a look at??

Yeah its www.ibts.ie

All I can find is

IBTS wrote:

Who Can Donate

Are You Eligible to Give Blood?
If you are between 18 and 60 if you are a first time donor (between 18 and 67 if you have donated within the last five years), weigh over 7 stone 12 lbs (over 50kgs) and are fit and healthy, you will probably be eligible to donate.

Sometimes people are deferred from donating for a short period of time, because for example they are on medication, or have a cold.

Also, to protect the safety of the blood supply there are reasons why some people may never be eligible to donate.

I dont feel like I have a cold and feel fine but I suppose there is no point in taking a risk on either side. Just wanted to do a good deed before Christmas!

tabatha · 19-12-2005 2:05pm

ur not suppose to give blood when u have a cold. if the person recieving the blood has anything wrong with there immune system and are given this blood it could do harm. just found this on the bts website.....

You should not donate blood for 1 week if you have a cold sore, a cold or an uncomplicated dental extraction or have been on short-term medication.

this answers your question....get straight onto them.

godtabh · 19-12-2005 2:08pm

tabatha wrote:

ur not suppose to give blood when u have a cold. if the person recieving the blood has anything wrong with there immune system and are given this blood it could do harm. just found this on the bts website.....

You should not donate blood for 1 week if you have a cold sore, a cold or an uncomplicated dental extraction or have been on short-term medication.

this answers your question....get straight onto them.

As I said I dont think I have a cold. Just a runny nose. Mind you I get a runny nose from eating spicy food thats why I was asking the question to see if any one cold define what it meant to have a cold.

tabatha · 19-12-2005 2:10pm

well as a precaution u should tell them. think of a cancer patient getting ur blood with a potential cold, what harm could that do? they have to be careful. even if u think you have a cold do the right thing!

godtabh · 19-12-2005 2:13pm

tabatha wrote:

well as a precaution u should tell them. think of a cancer patient getting ur blood with a potential cold, what harm could that do? they have to be careful. even if u think you have a cold do the right thing!

kearnsr wrote:

I dont feel like I have a cold and feel fine but I suppose there is no point in taking a risk on either side.

All ready said I wasnt gona do it. It can wait till afte Christmas

tabatha · 19-12-2005 2:15pm

fair play.....also well done for doing it.....not enough do!:)

godtabh · 19-12-2005 2:17pm

I do it when I can but the mobile van doesnt come out my way that much so its hard to get into town to do it all the time

tabatha · 19-12-2005 2:19pm

yeah, thats a problem alright, if u call them they should be able to tell you the next time they are in your area.

godtabh · 19-12-2005 2:26pm

tabatha wrote:

yeah, thats a problem alright, if u call them they should be able to tell you the next time they are in your area.

Yeah might make life handier.

Bluetonic · 19-12-2005 3:01pm

tabatha wrote:

think of a cancer patient getting ur blood with a potential cold, what harm could that do? they have to be careful.

What the hell are you talking about?

There is no eartly way possible for someone who has donated with a cold et al to pass on ANYTHING to somone who recieves a donation.

Forgetting the obvious fact that to pass on a cold by the above method is scientifical impossible, EVERY donation goes through a treatment process before being passed into another body. You harldy think it's taken at face value what people fill out on the back of a donation form do you?

godtabh · 19-12-2005 3:04pm

Bluetonic wrote:

What the hell are you talking about?

There is no eartly way possible for someone who has donated with a cold et al to pass on ANYTHING to somone who recieves a donation.

Forgetting the obvious fact that to pass on a cold by the above method above is scientifical impossible, EVERY donation goes through a treatment process before being passed into another body.

Why does it then say not to donate if you have a cold? Is that incase the person with the cold gets sick?

foggy · 19-12-2005 3:04pm

I gave blood last week, and they said if i got the cold in the next few days after giving blood to call and let them know. So obviously you should wait it out this time and go again next time they around.

Bluetonic · 19-12-2005 3:15pm

kearnsr wrote:

Why does it then say not to donate if you have a cold? Is that incase the person with the cold gets sick?

Well I would imagine it's first and foremost that they don't want people who have a cold infecting one of their donation centres. As a general rule people with colds should keep themself to themself to lessen the risk of passing it on to a third party.

I've often donated myself when I've had an sniffle on board, or even worse.

godtabh · 19-12-2005 3:44pm

Bluetonic wrote:

What the hell are you talking about?

There is no eartly way possible for someone who has donated with a cold et al to pass on ANYTHING to somone who recieves a donation.

Bluetonic wrote:

Well I would imagine it's first and foremost that they don't want people who have a cold infecting one of their donation centres.

These seem to contradict each other. Unless I'm reading them wrong!

Bluetonic wrote:

I've often donated myself when I've had an sniffle on board, or even worse.

I'd hate to think!

finlma · 19-12-2005 3:49pm

I tried to give blood a couple of weeks ago and they wouldn't take it cause I'd been in the tropics within the last 6 months. I think I'd know if I have malaria.

Bluetonic · 19-12-2005 4:00pm

kearnsr wrote:

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluetonic
What the hell are you talking about?

There is no eartly way possible for someone who has donated with a cold et al to pass on ANYTHING to somone who recieves a donation.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bluetonic
Well I would imagine it's first and foremost that they don't want people who have a cold infecting one of their donation centres.

These seem to contradict each other. Unless I'm reading them wrong!

First one I am talking about a blood donation being infected i.e blood cells passing on a cold.

Second one I am talking about a donation centre being infected i.e by someone sneezing, coughing and sluttering all over the place and other people.

godtabh · 19-12-2005 4:02pm

finlma wrote:

I tried to give blood a couple of weeks ago and they wouldn't take it cause I'd been in the tropics within the last 6 months. I think I'd know if I have malaria.

Is it because they cant detect malaria for 6 months or something? After all the **** the IBTS got its self into way back its right to go over board on safety if it saves lives.

godtabh · 19-12-2005 4:03pm

Bluetonic wrote:

First one I am talking about a blood donation being infected i.e blood cells passing on a cold.

Second one I am talking about a donation centre being infected i.e by someone sneezing, coughing and sluttering all over the place and other people.

Oh right yeah get you know.

Civilian_Target · 19-12-2005 7:42pm

Bluetonic wrote:

I've often donated myself when I've had an sniffle on board, or even worse.

As long as it's not your sneezing turkey that's sniffling - you can donate

Rozie · 20-12-2005 12:35am

Gay people can't give blood, as they are icky and may infect other people with their homosexualitis.

(This is actually true, check their website).

Superman · 20-12-2005 12:50am

How come you can't give blood "months after: ... You had an endoscopy" its on the site! i'm confused!

spurious · 20-12-2005 6:32am

I suppose the endoscopy thing is because they seem to think any bum action is bold, protected or not.

They don't seem to have a prob with women who have had bum action, protected or not, just those durn homosexualist gay men - as long as they tell them they have had, otherwise who's to know?

I can't see how a blood donation could pass on a cold. Surely their quality control and testing procedures are enough to catch any 'bad' things in the blood.

godtabh · 20-12-2005 8:59am

spurious wrote:

I suppose the endoscopy thing is because they seem to think any bum action is bold, protected or not.

They don't seem to have a prob with women who have had bum action, protected or not, just those durn homosexualist gay men - as long as they tell them they have had, otherwise who's to know?

I can't see how a blood donation could pass on a cold. Surely their quality control and testing procedures are enough to catch any 'bad' things in the blood.

Suppose they dont want the expense of checking it and other things when most people know they have a cold and their blood would be rejected.

Some people may not realise they have an STD so give blood in good faith only to find out.

Bluetonic · 20-12-2005 9:07am

kearnsr wrote:

when most people know they have a cold and their blood would be rejected

Have you a source for this?

godtabh · 20-12-2005 9:09am

Bluetonic wrote:

Have you a source for this?

No I'm just speculating but from what it says on their web site I figure it holds some truth.

tabatha · 20-12-2005 1:36pm

[QUOTE=Bluetonic
I've often donated myself when I've had an sniffle on board, or even worse.[/QUOTE]

i think this explains a lot

Bluetonic · 20-12-2005 2:11pm

tabatha wrote:

i think this explains a lot

Maybe I should add to that sentence...... AND have had confirmed to me everything I mentioned in this thread by staff at the blood clinics.

tabatha · 21-12-2005 2:35pm

so u stand by the fact that u think its ok to donate blood when u have a sniffle of ever worse?

godtabh · 21-12-2005 5:05pm

Bluetonic wrote:

Maybe I should add to that sentence...... AND have had confirmed to me everything I mentioned in this thread by staff at the blood clinics.

When was this?

Atrocity · 21-12-2005 6:44pm

First of all, before i start, don't anyone point out that I'm a selfish person. I know, I don't care.

I was just wondering why in Ireland there isn't any monetary rewards for giving blood? like in America? Yeah, I know, some people like helping other people and being selfless and giving.. I don't though, and I'm sure there's more people who would give blood for a reward. In fact, a lot of my friends would give blood for a small fee, like 20 euro or something. Why can't the Government offer some kind of incentive, because there's thousands of selfish young people like me with healthy, useful blood to give?

Bah, humbug.

tabatha · 22-12-2005 12:32pm

well a day might come when you or your family might need blood. getting it will be reward enough. i just have to drive by our ladys hospital and think of all the sick and dying children in their to remind me how important it is.

Bluetonic · 22-12-2005 1:37pm

kearnsr wrote:

When was this?

In the early 1990s, Pelican House (now gone) and numerous times in the last years at the mobile unit.

Bluetonic · 22-12-2005 1:41pm

Atrocity wrote:

Why can't the Government offer some kind of incentive, because there's thousands of selfish young people like me with healthy, useful blood to give?

Hopefully there will come a day when you will understand. As you said you are a young person, you may if your lucky develope intelligence at a later stage.

godtabh · 22-12-2005 4:37pm

Bluetonic wrote:

In the early 1990s, Pelican House (now gone) and numerous times in the last years at the mobile unit.

Just form what they said on their site it says not to give blood when you have a cold.

As it turns out I'm in bits not so I was lucky I didnt go.

tabatha · 22-12-2005 4:41pm

well i hope u get better soon kearnsr

godtabh · 22-12-2005 4:54pm

tabatha wrote:

well i hope u get better soon kearnsr

So do I. I'm going to Iceland on MOnday

Atrocity · 22-12-2005 6:14pm

That's the typical response from the guilt-trip brigade, like those stupid ads that tried to push people into giving blood by making them feel bad. If a day comes when I need blood, I won't expect people to fall over themselves giving it to me, no more than I did for other people. You seem to think that all I need is to understand some big moral issue or something, which is rubbish.

you may if your lucky develope intelligence at a later stage.

Terrible spelling and punctuation, mr. intelligent.

WhiteWashMan · 23-12-2005 12:13am

kearnsr wrote:

Not sure if this is the right place but anyways.

Hoping to give blood today. Have done it a few times so no question on what happens etc.

Thing is I have a snifle. I checked out their web site and says you shouldnt give blood if you have a cold.

I dont fell like I have a cold. DO you reckon they'll turn me away? Tried rining them but phone wasnt picked up.

you should be fine. or at this stage, you should have been fine.

let us know if you got turned away or not

Agent Smith · 23-12-2005 12:29am

Atrocity wrote:

First of all, before i start, don't anyone point out that I'm a selfish person. I know, I don't care.

I was just wondering why in Ireland there isn't any monetary rewards for giving blood? like in America? Yeah, I know, some people like helping other people and being selfless and giving.. I don't though, and I'm sure there's more people who would give blood for a reward. In fact, a lot of my friends would give blood for a small fee, like 20 euro or something. Why can't the Government offer some kind of incentive, because there's thousands of selfish young people like me with healthy, useful blood to give?

Bah, humbug.

you are whats wrong with this country

Atrocity · 23-12-2005 12:32am

Don't be all high and mighty. I sponsored a child in Ethiopia back in 1997 and I gave a nice treble figured donation to the tsunami fund, I also carry an organ donor card. So should I meet an untimely end, my organs will be put to use. I don't however, want to go give blood without a payment. I think giving blood is wonderful and all, but I'm not prepared to do it for free. A lot of people I know would also give blood if they were paid. They do it in America, if they did it here they would have massively increased blood stocks. That's my opinion on it, you might debate whether or not paying people to give blood is right, but don't try to call me an idiot or say I'm what's wrong with the country, because you just end up looking stupid and naive yourself.

Vorsprung · 23-12-2005 1:47am

Is the feeling that you've done a great deed compensation enough!?

I don't think giving money for donations is a good idea. That can lead to a situation where people lie on the medical forms to be filled out beforehand, then when the IBTS do their testing on the blood they find they've given some junkie €x for something they'll throw away.

Worse still, if there's an infection present in the blood that hasn't yet shown up by the time they've tested it (this can happen with Hep

, they end up giving the infected blood to some poor soul. Any potential donors who answer the questions truthfully would be thanked for their consideration but regretfully turned away before any situation like this could arise.

Bluetonic · 23-12-2005 9:10am

Atrocity wrote:

If a day comes when I need blood.

Hopefully that day will come very soon for you.

godtabh · 23-12-2005 9:23am

WhiteWashMan wrote:

you should be fine. or at this stage, you should have been fine.

let us know if you got turned away or not

After reading what was said here I decided no to go. As it turn out my runny nose got worse and I'm glad I didnt got.

I will go in the new year do.

Enii · 23-12-2005 9:45am

Atrocity wrote:

First of all, before i start, don't anyone point out that I'm a selfish person. I know, I don't care.

I was just wondering why in Ireland there isn't any monetary rewards for giving blood? like in America? Yeah, I know, some people like helping other people and being selfless and giving.. I don't though, and I'm sure there's more people who would give blood for a reward. In fact, a lot of my friends would give blood for a small fee, like 20 euro or something. Why can't the Government offer some kind of incentive, because there's thousands of selfish young people like me with healthy, useful blood to give?

Bah, humbug.

I know they don't give financial rewards but they are so thankful when you give it does make you feel good. all the staff are so pleasant and afterwards you can go and have a tea.coffeee or soft drink or Guinness(!) and plenty of crisps and chocolate. I actually find the whole experience quite enjoyable!

i went two days ago and then yesterday with my husband. If anyone is considering going today (open until 5pm) definitely do as it is very quiet and there are no queues. They were saying that they imagine they will get very few people in today (Friday).

Atrocity · 23-12-2005 6:03pm

Bluetonic wrote:

Hopefully that day will come very soon for you

I love you too

Civilian_Target · 02-05-2006 4:29pm

Bumptastic! For those of you who gave blood last time this thread came around, it's time to give again.

Degsy · 02-05-2006 4:42pm

The blood transfusion board is a business,NOT a charity.I have it on good authority that they sell the blood and blood products to the hospitals for in excessof 200 euro a pint.THIS is the reason they have such lavish headqurters on mespill road and can afford to pay thier staff very large salaries.If you could donate directly to the hospitals instead of going through this crowd you would be saving the health service millions.

Giving Blood

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