Medic bracelet for Blood Type?

[Netix]

It's not a medical condition, just a general question, looking for opinions. DD is O- blood group, and if you don't know, people with O- blood can only have that blood type for transfusions. I think there may be other groups the same, but just wondering if it would be a good idea to give her a medic bracelet whilst at school or whatever, *just in case* ?

I have highlighted this fact on her school enrolment forms, but we all know these things get overlooked, and in case of emergency, I'm not sure they are always looked at (unless that student is highlighted as allergic to something). Thoughts ? Thanks.

[Little Chicken]

If she needed am emergency transfusion she would get o blood anyway until she was cross matched. Mos hospitals don't trust verbal reports of blood type unless it is a red cross blood donation card or documented in their medical records.

[Netix]

Oh, okay. I didn't know that . Thank you.

[feeb]

If she needed am emergency transfusion she would get o blood anyway until she was cross matched. Mos hospitals don't trust verbal reports of blood type unless it is a red cross blood donation card or documented in their medical records.

What little chicken said. They always would give O blood until they have taken blood from her and crossed matched it.

[Floweryfields]

The likelihood of her needing a transfusion without you being first able to inform them of her bloodgroup would be pretty slim, so I wouldn't get one. As to whether people read them in an emergency, maybe - if she was bleeding alot, I would be focussed on stopping that and not reading a bracelet. If she were having a reaction to something, I would read the bracelet to see if she was alergic.

[Netix]

Okay, thanks. I would hope that there wouldn't be a time that she would require such emergency medical treatment that I am not contactable. She's not allergic to anything (that I know of, yet), so I would also rather not give her a bracelet, if something *did* happen (bee sting, anything), to make people additionally concerned that she is allergic to something, or has other medical needs. That would just take up time and create worry. I guess.

[Little Chicken]

The likelihood of her needing a transfusion without you being first able to inform them of her bloodgroup would be pretty slim, so I wouldn't get one. As to whether people read them in an emergency, maybe - if she was bleeding alot, I would be focussed on stopping that and not reading a bracelet. If she were having a reaction to something, I would read the bracelet to see if she was alergic.

Just so people are aware, even if you do inform them of a blood type, a blood bank will not issue type specific blood without either doing their own cross match, or having documented proof of your blood type. While it is good to know your blood type, it is not always essential.

[Mother Goose]

Also, emergency and operating departments have little machines that tell you your blood type within moments. They will still send your blood off for a full cross match but it is suffice for those situations where we need to know and "need to know yesterday".


But good on you for thinking about this Netix.

[Netix]

Thanks MG. And I didn't know about those fancy-pants machines. They sound very useful!

[megs]

Would you believe my whole family is O-, I am, DH is and all 4 boys are I was always lead to believe that O- is the universal blood, it can be given to anybody if there blood type is unknown, or their type of blood is unavailable.

Must say I hadn't really thought about having an alert, I will be making sure all boys know what there bloody type is, DH didn't find out until about 2 years ago.

[Loula]

All my family and dh family (mum,dad,brothers and sisters) are O- so its safe to say so is DS

I carry a blood group card in my purse with my name and DOB but I still had to have my blood tested while in emergency as they wouldn't accept my card! (from Melbourne pathology!)


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