Help please - in the remote chance anyone is in the same situation as OH…
He had a blood transfusion when he had his operation in the summer. Since then he has had a blood test to find out whether he has had an adverse reaction to that transfusion. He has.
His blood was sent to Paris for further testing. We have the results - specific antibodies are Anti-K (Anti-KEL1).
There is nothing to tell us now what on the paperwork I have downloaded from Ameli.
I’ve read on the internet he will need to carry a card, but no indication who will issue it. I must say I’d assumed all of this would come back from the Paris lab.
So - do we speak to (a) the hospital where the op was done? (b) the lab here in our local town who did the first test? (c) our MT (who seemed to imply when we first talked about this that someone else would issue the card)?
Grateful if, by any chance someone else has been through this and can throw some light on it.
Most of the stuff I’m reading on google applies to pregnant women and babies - not 70 something year old men who’ve had a blood transfusion - frustrating!
Thanks Jane. Very grateful for your research. Not the first one, which is vitamin K. Yes to the second one, but not sure if that’s for the patient or info for the person conducting the test.
I’ll print it off and take it to the lab. I’ve decided to start with our local lab as I’ve just checked my blood type card and I see they did that for me. OH doesn’t have one at present and should. So I’ll start the conversation there - just painful waiting in the queue if not going in for a blood test or a urine test!!!
I’ve never had one of those! If you can say, I’d love to know why you have one. I know my blood group because I was a blood donor waaaaaay back in the UK but it’s never cropped up here.
I thought all/most (?) French people had blood type cards. When I went into hospital a couple of years ago for my pacemaker the people filling in my paperwork seemed surprised (a) I didn’t know my blood type and (b) I couldn’t produce a card. I now have a beautifully plasticised card with my photo on the front and a whole scale of details about my blood (much more than “just” Arh+) and - lo and behold (I’ve only just looked properly) - one of those details is “kell negatif”. So thanks for asking Angela. Yes, definitely I will start with the lab and ask them to sort out a blood type card for OH.
I take all of this stuff more seriously these days. In case of emergencies. I always carry a card for my pacemaker and for the blood thinners I take and the blood type card is with them as well. I also have a vaccination card which has my tetenus jab date in it when I went into A&E some years ago with a bad cut.
We both have them following “incidents” that involved dripping blood. And yes were met with surprise that we didn’t have them so now do. I’m surprised that wasn’t included in your recent hospital experience as I had to show mine to the dragon guarding hospital ward admissions.
My info pack has list of drugs, alert cards, vaccines status, blood group and next of kin (I’m a cheery soul).
I’ve got one, so have a couple my daughters - you get it if you are pregnant or being hospitalised or operated on as an outpatient, they test your blood twice and you get the card after your 2nd blood test (they make sure they have have got your bood-group right). It’s a fairly rubbishy looking bit of cardboard but you have your ABO type, rhesus factor, Kell, Duffy etc
Our Doc insisted on us having blood tests when he first took us on his List… all those years ago.
Neither of us knew what our BGroup was… although I knew mine was a “problem”.
and we were given our Blood Group certificates at that time… signed by the local lab manager.
They are paper/card… like the rose Driving Permits… actually slightly more flimsy.
Just want to say (yet again) how grateful I am for this place where I can pose questions without much hope of an answer and find in the discussion that follows a wealth of information and a solution (and peace of mind) for me. I will be at the lab tomorrow, late morning, (after all the “a jeun” people and men with small paper cups have been seen) to talk about getting a blood group certificate (plasticised hopefully) for OH. I will be armed with my copy to show them and all his paperwork from Paris. Thank you, one and all.
If you want a blood group card, ask your MT for an ordnance for the 2 blood tests. You will pay for it. This is what I’ve been told this morning by our lab. I’ve also been told, no longer a fancy plasticised card with a photo, just a scrappy bit of paper as @vero said.
Our Doc arranged 2 separate tests, specially done, in order to be provided with my Blood Group card…
Have you checked in your Ameli account thingy where all sorts of documents and info is stored…
Every prescription, jab etc etc is duly noted… for me, anyway…
I asked my doctor today if I should add blood tests in order to have a blood type certificate/card in my wallet in case of accident.
The mere thought of it surprised her. She said if you have an operation they will do tests and you’d receive certificate with your blood data. But otherwise not.
I asked what if the pompiers have to come get me she said No, pompiers wouldn’t be giving you a transfusion and your tests would be immediately done if treatment is needed. She said not even for emergencies is it necessary to have the card and if you need treatment they’d do all the tests again anyway.
And also very sensible and knowledgeable.
