Blood Types ...

[Elina]

I've just rang my surgery to ask on behalf of my son what particular blood type he was. She said we don't actually hold that information, he would have to donate blood to find out. I thought there might have been a problem with me phoning & not him, but honestly thought he'd get that info?

[Elina]

I also never knew that only Australian born people can donate blood in Australia. My son cannot due to the UK's mad cow outbreak?

[gingejbee]

How would the surgery know his blood group, unless he had a sample taken in the past to specifically type it?

[Elina]

I thought they would ginge, he's had plenty of blood taken.

[Chickadee]

They don't type blood during a normal blood test.
They only type it for specific reasons, i.e. if you are having surgery and they need to have some on standby.

[Elina]

They're actually saying we don't hold blood type information.

[gingejbee]

It's a strange thing, i know...but when blood samples are taken for various tests at a surgery, those tests are the only thing done..nobody needs to know the group, so nobody does it!

[Elina]

Oh really chick! I didn't know that, thank you!

[Chickadee]

Yes I agree gingejbee, to find out my blood type I had to ask at the hospital after having a type test as I was having surgery.
My GP's surgery doesn't know it.

[Sqad]

I am not too sure how important your blood type is to anyone now.
If you need transfusion then your blood is cross marched with the donor blood,whatever the blood group of the recipient.

[Sqad]

matched.

[Elina]

I don't actually know why he needs to know sqad, I asked in a round about way & he's swerved it.

[Elina]

How could he now get that info then living in Australia?

[Sqad]

He can't.

[Elina]

He's home Christmas! He could probably donate then I suppose!

[dannyk13]

I'm pretty sure that if he asked his GP he would do it for him.After all they supply blood groups for paternity tests.

[Elina]

Not sure how he's fixed medically over there danny to be honest. I'll discuss that with him.

[woofgang]

If you need a transfusion, then considerably more information is needed to cross match than basic blood type...and if you have received transfusions then that cross matching information is liable to change.