Procedure for blood draw in UK?

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Fine-State8014@reddit

If anything the plaster sticks too well. Takes a ton of scrubbing to get rid of the glue.

It's a cotton plaster a couple of inches square you have to keep on for 6 hours, then they tape an inch long cotton tube on top of that. You only need to keep that on half an hour.

Source is 68 blood donations and about 20 platelets donations.

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fourlegsfaster@reddit

What is blood draw? Do you mean taking blood for a test or when we donate blood?

As others have said usually a small piece of cotton wool, if the bleeding stops after a bit of pressure, no need for anything, or a small plaster applied. which does stick to your skin.

Wraps around the elbow? Why should it be so large for a pinprick?

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Faux-pa5@reddit (OP)

Maybe I just bleed more than the average person? Who knows

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48thgenerationroman@reddit

Its not called a blood draw in the uk. The doctor/nurse takes blood

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fourlegsfaster@reddit

You are working on a story, but your own more than average bleeding is part of it?

You asked a question about blood draw which is not an English term, I assume it means taking blood for a test, in the UK we might say blood test or taking blood depending on the purpose.

I am intrigued that you question that a band aid/plaster can't stick. It seems as an author you either lack imagination or the ability to research.

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Faux-pa5@reddit (OP)

The story is not about myself, but in the story the characters are going to an STI clinic for a blood test. I appreciate the correction there.

In the US most Band-Aids (plasters) are rectangular and lack adhesive on all sides of the absorbent part. I've never seen a round one!

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

Wait your plasters don't have adhesive on all sides?

The US continues to baffle me

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crowort@reddit

I’m not sure but lots of STIs are tested via a finger prick that drips onto a bit of paper / cardboard. Some might need a vial of blood still.

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Blows my mind, because I've just had to comfort a small relative with a tiny wound. We buy packs of mixed size plasters including small round, small oblong, larger oblong, small square.... I chose the shape of the plaster according to the size of the wound but also how it would best fit and flex.

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Faux-pa5@reddit (OP)

Might surprise you but many products are different in UK vs US. Our Band-Aids come in many sizes of rectangle and weird butterfly-shaped ones that fit on fingertips. But I've never seen round or square.

(I'm a mom, nearly 50, so I've seen my share)

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BrowsingOnMaBreak@reddit

Tbf I’ve ever had the round ones for a blood test, only for vaccines administered to the outer arm. I can’t imagine the little round ones staying stuck to the inside of my elbow. I get a bit of cotton held on by surgical tape/plaster tape or occasionally a long band aid (which does gape but I’ve usually stopped bleeding by then)

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OkTadpole2920@reddit

We have tiny round ones, probably designed for a blood test. We actually have loads of different sizes of plaster, and some of them do have adhesive surrounding the pad. Have fun with your book xx

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Faux-pa5@reddit (OP)

Thanks for being kind :)

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Faux-pa5@reddit (OP)

As to my imagination or lack thereof, that's for my readers to decide.

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becca413g@reddit

Usually cotton wool is taped on with micropore tape.

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Kiss_It_Goodbyeee@reddit

Only if you have a latex allergy. Normally get a plaster after firmly pressing with the cotton for a couple of minutes.

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

Nope, get blood taken often, no allergy. Just get the tape. Doesn't really bother me anyway though

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Kiss_It_Goodbyeee@reddit

Ah that might be the difference. I donate blood regularly in a community context and it's usually plaster over cotton/tape there.

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

I can't donate blood anymore due to the medical condition that requires the semi-regular blood tests :<

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Psychological-Duck13@reddit

In hospital settings I’ve been told “no plasters” because of the frequency of allergies. I can usually get a plaster on request in primary care. Cotton wool and tape is very common.

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TheGeordieGal@reddit

It's so hard to get blood from me they don't even need to bother with a plaster as there's no extra blood lol. I do have an issue with sticky things so if they put one on I just take it off as soon as I leave the building since it's not needed.

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Neddlings55@reddit

NHS is largely latex free now.

SOP is cotton wool and micropore.

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TheShakyHandsMan@reddit

Sometimes they use this plastic tape which hurts more than the needle when you take it off.

OP, I was having daily blood tests last year if you need any more information I am very experienced to having needles in my arms.

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Past-Obligation1930@reddit

Which one rips off pretty soon because you’ve stopped bleeding.

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keithmk@reddit

Haha I am on anticoagulants, so the press on the cotton wool has to be longer and the tape has to stay on for a while

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SoggyWotsits@reddit

For me it’s usually a cotton wool ball that you hold over the tiny hole in your inner elbow after they take the needle out. Then they get a piece of microporous tape to stick the cotton wool in place. I usually take it off as soon as I’m back in the car.

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Pebbley@reddit

Tiny circular elastoplast, (bandaid) or cotton wool, hold in place, or tape it for a short while. It's not rocket science, trust me i am not a Doctor.

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Serious_Badger_4145@reddit

Cotton ball and bit of tape in my surgery

You go in, they hand you a waterproof pillow. You stick your arm on that, they jab you with the needle and connect however many bottles needed and then remove the needle by purting a cotton ball there and ask you to hold it. Then they tape it

If you're American blood tests are done here for slightly different reasons than in the us. They don't tend to be done just in case. They test when you're already ill

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Amazingroo1973@reddit

Don’t forget the stretchy band clipped around your upper arm before the needle stick! Makes sure your veins stand out (or helps anyway) apparently.

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TheGeordieGal@reddit

I get them yearly as part of an annual review because of medication I'm taking.

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kalendral_42@reddit

Usually they apply a cotton wool ball & tape

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LittleMe0311@reddit

As a previous phlebotomist in a hospital, I can tell you that in clinic, we would always apply a small round plaster (cheaper than micropore tape) unless the patient was actively bleeding. We would always use cotton wool and apply pressure first (well, ask the patient to apply pressure). For speed on the wards, it would be micropore straight over the cotton wool, unless the skin was delicate.

For a blood test or injection in a hospital clinic, in our NHS trust, it was always a small, round plaster.

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weedywet@reddit

Depends on you (and your clotting ability) and also on the phlebotomist doing it.

If it’s clotting g well after pressure a simple plaster is often enough.

And that’s true in the US as well.

Your experience isn’t universal.

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Faux-pa5@reddit (OP)

I've checked with a few other US friends and we ALL get the sticky tape wrapping around the elbow, no matter what clinic type we use.

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BarryTownCouncil@reddit

1.5inch square white gauze plaster, then a dental cotton wool stick on top held down with tape to create positive pressure on the skin.

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Derezzed87@reddit

Last time I gave blood (quite a few years ago), thats what I got. And it did not fall off naturally. Even trying to take it off in the shower was a struggle. Waxed my inner elbow many times, then left trying to remove the residue.

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Sorry-Mate69@reddit

First you call the doctors reception and wait half hour to talk to someone. Then you wait a month or 2 for the appointment. Then wait in the waiting room to be called, then after wait a week or so for the result by slow mo letter.

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keithmk@reddit

I think you need to change doctors. Nothing like those wait times, and i have blood tests regularly. The blood is taken in the mornings as the samples are collected from the surgery around noon by the NHS courier to be taken to the labs. I often have the results on the NHS app that evening or at latest next morning

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TheGeordieGal@reddit

You must have really bad luck. Last blood test I needed I'd been in to see the doctor (2 day wait after calling to make apt) and went to reception. They have slots for "urgent" blood tests as well as routine ones, so I got a blood test booked in the next day. I did have to wait forever for results but that was because my blood was taken Maundy Thursday so of course everything was shut until the Tues after easter. I logged into the NHS app at 10am on the Tues and my results were there.

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abyssal-isopod86@reddit

I'm in the UK, got a blood draw this morning, they use a small circular plaster (what you call and Band-Aid) on it afterwards and I peeled it off after a few hours, no issue with adhesion.

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TheGeordieGal@reddit

I get my blood taken relatively frequently and 90% of the time they use the the little circular plaster if they use one. I've had them take blood from all areas of my arms and hands because I'm so challenging to find a vein on the only time I've had cotton wool is if it's been done in hospital or the times they had to use the knuckle of my pointer finger (the vein on the outside where it runs down to your thumb). The vast majority of the time I get no plaster because I just don't bleed. They'll have 2 or 3 holes from multiple attempts and there's never any blood so they don't bother. Even if they did, a big bit of cotton wool and micropore tape would be totally overkill. The plasters stick really well wherever they're put, but I always pull them off as soon as I get out of the building. Partly because they just aren't needed, and partly because my body doesn't likely sticky things on it and I want to avoid a rash.

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Slight-Brush@reddit

You hold the cotton till the tube is capped and labelled, and then either bin it or it's taped on.

Can't recall ever having an actual plaster / 'band aid'

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TheGeordieGal@reddit

I've only had cotton wool in hospitals. In my GP surgery it's the little plaster or they just don't bother (there's never any extra blood for me as they already struggle to get what they need - my veins like to keep hold of blood).

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Serious_Badger_4145@reddit

Only for a vaccine ime and it's those funny round ones

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CrazyPlantLady01@reddit

You can have a tiny circle plaster that sits in the crease of your elbow nicely. I always have to ask for this, the default is to tape some cotton wool on, but I don't like the tape personally

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TheGeordieGal@reddit

The plaster is the default at my GP surgery. The only time I've ever had cotton wool was in the hospital (and I get my blood taken frequently).

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National-Raspberry32@reddit

I hate the tape. So painful to take off. 😂

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Ouryve@reddit

I always leave it until I'm in the shower or else I end up with big red weals. If I remember. I just take my own hypoallergenic plasters.

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DefinitelynotDanger@reddit

Around the elbow? Don't think I've seen that before.

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Fantastic-Pear6241@reddit

I get my blood taken often. They just put tape over the cotton.

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Just-Standard-992@reddit

If they draw it from the inside of the elbow, they normally give me cotton wool to press on it for a bit (sometimes they tell you to flex your arm so that the wool is held by your arm itself).

On a couple of ocassions they've drawn it from my hand when they can't find an easier vein. Usually the blood takes a bit longer to stop there, so they give me either some micropore tape to put on the cotton if i'm ready to leave, or a tiny circular plaster. But this is extremely rare.

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LeTrolleur@reddit

Diabetic here, around 2x blood tests a year for over 20 years now.

I can confirm the plaster sticks very well to my inner elbow over the blood draw site, the adhesive is strong and the plaster is flexible enough to bend with my elbow. I usually wait until I'm having a shower to remove it.

Usually I am given a cotton ball to hold on the site immediately after the needle is removed, this is then replaced with a plaster once any immediate bleeding has ceased.

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Kiss_It_Goodbyeee@reddit

Those plasters stick like buggery. It feels like they fuse to your skin.

The skin puncture is slight above the inner elbow bend so there's no issue with a plaster/band aid.

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Fyonella@reddit

Why wouldn’t an Elastoplast stick to the inner elbow??

Millions of Blood Donors manage every single day. 🤷‍♀️

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TmB-Eggo@reddit

Inpatient blood draw or cannula removal uses either a cotton wool ball or a small square of gauze, initially held down with thumb pressure, for 30s to a minute, and then that might be secured with some medical tape. The tape wouldn't be wrapped around the elbow though, just enough to stick to the skin either side of the site, to hold the guaze in place.

The techique might be adjusted depending on how likely the person is to bleed. Some patients might be taking asprin or other blood thinners, and might need more pressure for longer. Not applying enough pressure with patients with longer clotting times can cause a nasty haematoma.

Source: I'm a nurse assisstant. I don't take blood, but I do remove cannula.

This is for inpatients though, in an outpatient setting it's possible that a plaster (band-aid) might be used instead, as it might look more discreet, and/or be more low-profile for people at less risk of bleeding, who might be going back to daily activities.

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Final_Flounder9849@reddit

Had bloods taken last week and they used a small round plaster. No cotton wool. No tape. I prefer the plaster as it’s much less faff and does the job just fine.

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marmite_mut@reddit

It depends on where you have it done.

The local hospital had a nurse who had been there forever, and this little older lady could prep you and have the sample taken in the time it takes most people to farther.

At my GP surgery the health care "professional" jammed the needle into the vein, wiggled it about a bit before pushing it out the other side. Lovely postcard sized bruise and a promise to never blood draw at the surgery again is what I learnt from that.

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PipBin@reddit

I give blood and you get a cotton wool tube, about 3/4 of an inch long and the thickness of a pencil held on with micropore tape.

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Icy-Belt-8519@reddit

🤷‍♂️ Either is used depending where

My son just had blood taken and they used a plaster but my mom they used tape, I always have tape cause I'm allergic to plasters

I don't take blood but I do put cannulas in and do injections, for a failed cannula or injection I tend to put pressure on for a sec then if that doesn't stop it just pop a small dressing on and tape, I'm a paramedic and we often don't have plasters! 😂

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Numerous_Ad_2511@reddit

I have blood tests every few months, you go in sit in a chair, they ask your details from the form you hand over.

They pull out all the tube and wrap the rube tourniquet round the upper arm and may ask which is the better arm and best sites.

Always ask if your ok with needles

Then after the draw

It depends on where it was done but I have had

Little round circle plasters... Favourite Solid tube and microspore tape Cotton gauze and microspore tape

The tape is horrible to take off and can leave more of a bruise than the test if not removed correctly

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Magic_mousie@reddit

Cotton wool is taped on with white surgical tape if you're still bleeding a bit.

If you've stopped or it's tiny or they're just in the mood then they'll use a small round band aid instead. Like the size of a quarter? From memory. Small coin.

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