When I first donated blood, the consent form was a single A5 sheet. 10 questions max. Post-HIV, the form has grown 800%. It’s not ALL HIV related. For example, if you’re lived in England, there’s a special “Mad Cow” question just for you.
But that’s it, or was until recently.
“Apheresis Information and Consent Form – Saline Compensation”, covers such wonderful topics as
- What is apheresis?
I’ve been donating apheresis off/on for the last 20ish years, think I’d know by now. - How long does plasmapheresis/plateletphersis take, and how much is collected?
About the same time as ‘I can hold it in’ before needing to rush to the toilets. It’s a long time for me, about 70mins. - What problems can arise from apheresis donation?
The one’s they don’t list on the form:
* taking several attempts to harpoon the vein.
* punching though the vein.
* bruising around the harpoon site.
Oh I don’t regret being an apheresis donor.
But a 4 page consent form??? It’s a world gone mad.
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