Making people bleed

FAQs:

What’s so great about drawing blood?
Are you kidding me? It’s thrilling, scary as hell, controlling, sexy, intimate and simply fabulous. What’s more, blood, as a substance, is like nothing else I know, it‘s life force in a liquid!

Some facts about blood:
The average (healthy) person (depending on their weight and sex) has approximately 4-6 litres of blood in their body. …and if we take out 500mls (1 pint) of blood it would take approximately:

• 24 hours to replace fluid volume lost
• 4 weeks to replace red cells lost
• 8 weeks to replace iron lost

How much blood is it safe to draw?
This really depends on the weight and general health of the donor.
To donate 500mls of blood safely (according to the British Transfusion Services and the US Red Cross) you need to be an adult and over 110lbs. Since it’s very unlikely that as much as 500mls will be required in one go, the weight rule can probably be relaxed a little (so long as you both remain risk aware.) Remember: You still need to factor in the accumulative amount of blood you are taking from one donor over time (and allow some time to recover in between donations.) A general rule of thumb is: Don’t take more than 500mls over any 56 day (8 week) period.

What are the biggest risks?

Blood borne infections

What are the Top 3 viruses to worry about?
Hepatitis B (HepB):
Symptoms: High temperature, "flu-like" symptoms, dark urine & jaundice (yellowness) Less than 1:100 will go on to suffer a serious illness and may even die. Most, however, make a full recovery after about 6 months. 1:10 people infected will have no symptoms (and so may not know they are infectious) but can still suffer the long term complications.
In 2003 there were 1150 notified cases of Hep B infections across the UK.
You can be vaccinated against Hep B.

Hepatitis C (HepC):
Symptoms: Usually mild or no symptoms on initial infection. However, as with HepB, people may go on to develop long term liver disease without knowing they have Hep C infection. In 2005 there were approximately 8,000 reported cases of Hep C infections across the UK
At the moment there is no vaccination available

HIV
HIV Attacks the bodies immune system and renders it ineffective against many other infectious diseases. When initially infected symptoms may be mild ("flu-like") but for most there will be no symptoms and they will remain completely well for many years. Eventually the body's defences become more and more depressed and other infections and symptoms are seen. The disease progresses until the person suffers AIDS. To interrupt the transmission of HIV, prophylactic (preventative) treatment can be given shortly after potential exposure. This involves a series of injections of a drug that helps to stop the HIV virus attaching to it's "target" cell. In 2006 there were 226 new HIV positive cases identified as part of the national prevalence (anonymous) surveys which specifically target high risk groups in the UK.
At the moment there is no vaccination available.

How are blood borne infections spread?

• An open break in the skin
• The eye or mouth
• A sharp object contaminated with infected blood puncturing the skin

Highest risk procedures:

How can I reduce the risk of getting a blood-borne infection?
Because those carrying HIV and Hepatitis B & C may not show any signs of illness it is not possible for you to identify them. Therefore it's wise to treat everyone you break skin with as infected with a blood borne virus. So, whenever skin is to be broken you should:

• Practice good hand hygiene (preferably wash and dry hands but if skin is socially clean then alcogel hand rubs are good.)
• Wear single use disposable gloves (made of latex or vinyl)
• Cover all cuts, grazes and rashes with a waterproof plaster
• Only use sterile instruments to break the skin (soaking something in disinfectant DOES NOT render it sterile.)
• Clean up all blood spillages preferably with a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water.) This should be left on the blood for 2 minutes before being cleared away.
• Know what to do if you are injured with a contaminated sharp (see below)
• Dispose of all sharps straight into a safe collection device (sharps bin) and dispose of that appropriately when it‘s two thirds full.

What should I do if I get a sharps injury?

• Wash the site of injury with soap and water (avoid "scrubbing")
• Exposed mucous membranes (e.g. splashed eyes or mouths) should be washed with lots of water (remove contact lenses)
• If there is a puncture wound encourage it to bleed (DO NOT suck on it!)
• Seek further medical advice if necessary.

How do I dispose of sharps safely?:
Needle exchanges are about the best places to go. They are relatively local (to those people who live in the city.) Some of them even have drop off times, but most likely will take a sealed bin anytime without questions. Some even have a box that you just deposit a sealed bin into (much like a bank's deposit box.)
An alternative is Boots the Chemist. Their larger stores will take sealed bins although smaller chemists will often only take bins they have issued themselves.
Since a sharps bin, by it’s nature, carries contaminated (bio hazardous) materials, putting them into your domestic waste (even in a sealed bin) isn’t the best way to dispose of them. Biohazard waste should really be incinerated.

Do I always have to wear gloves?
No. But you do need to weigh up the risks for yourself before you make that decision.
Some facts about gloves then:

• Unless you are wearing sterile gloves, gloves will not protect the bottom from infection (good technique and sterile equipment will do that.)
• Unless you practice with gloves on your manual dexterity will be reduced, you will feel more clumsy and you are more likely to have an accident
• If you have cuts, wounds or broken skin on your hands gloves will prevent blood from the bottom contaminating your wound and risking a blood borne infection
• If you accidentally stick yourself with a contaminated needle the “wiping” effect of wearing gloves will reduce the risk of you getting a blood borne infection as a result (Please not the word REDUCE and not ELIMINATE)

Resources and Supplies

“Bricks and Mortar” stores:

lili (July 2008)