I would ask them to sign a form [drawn up specially], indicating that it was their wish to self-phlebotomise and that any risk of damage was on their own head, or whichever part of their anatomy they were drawing from. And then in view of the tendency for druggies to be HIV +ve, would ensure that when they had collected the blood they were not between me and the door so I could get out quickly if I needed to.
TIM
**************************************************************************
Prof. Tim Reynolds,
Clinical chemistry Dept.,
Queen's Hospital,
Belvedere Rd.,
Burton-on-Trent.
tel: +44 (0) 1283 511511 ext 4035
fax: +44 (0) 1283 593064
email: [log in to unmask]
[alternative email for when all too frequently NHS Net isn't working [log in to unmask]]
-----Original Message-----
From: c=GB;a=NHS;p=NHS NATIONAL
INT;dda:RFC-822=ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK;
Sent: 02 May 2001 14:01
To: c=GB;a=NHS;p=NHS NATIONAL
INT;dda:RFC-822=ACB-CLIN-CHEM-GEN(a)JISCMAIL.AC.UK;
Subject: Self-phlebotomy
Recently an IV drug user attended pathology for a blood test stating: 'You
won't find any veins in my arms or hands. Give me a syringe and needle and
I'll get the blood from my groin'
What would you do?
Phil White
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