Best Posts in Thread: Drivers licence update from lto

In my smart arse way, that is my entire point.

No professional is going to give me a blood transfusion based on the blood type put on my driver's license (in the Philippines anyway). Even though I carry a card issued by Hi-Precision Diagnostics with my blood type confirmed in large letters, Silliman would not give me a blood transfusion without confirming my blood type (at least they would not do it 3 years ago). So blood type on driver's license is just more bureaucratic BS to give clerks more to do. IMHO of course.

 

I think this might be the issue I wrote about above: I assume that the child was not O- and so they wanted his/her SPECIFIC blood group type. Using O- on a patient who is not O- is really only for emergency situations. I may be wrong but if I am correct then we should, in fact, praise the professionalism of the doctors.

But no-one can fault you for making such a valuable attempt to help.

 

Speaking of blood donations I'm O- and sometime back there was a post about some little kid desperately needing blood at Silliman. I texted and went down immediately to try and donate. First they thing they said I had to be tested, no problem. Next they said I had to get an agreement with the parents on how much I'd be paid (didn't want anything but to save a life, don't need the money), no problem. Then the doctor said they wouldn't take my blood but just my number incase because they wanted an exact match (umm, O- is the universal donor who can give to anyone but only receive from O-). I questioned a bit further and they said the family couldn't afford the special medication for someone without a matched -/+ (again not an issue). I gave my number to the family and said if they needed to text or call and I'll be back asap.

Pretty crappy what kind of quack doctors we have here. Sorry if off topic.

 

Would certainly suck to die of a reaction from getting a wrong blood type transfusion after an accident because you had 'what they wanted to hear' on your license. Probably something you want to verify it is correct even before checking how your name is spelled.

 

In fact, not only should they not rely on a blood type written on any document a person carries or any verbal reassurance by that person, they should ALWAYS cross-match the patient's blood with the blood to be given and look for aggregation of red blood cells - except in extreme emergencies, when they give O-.

The ABO and Rhesus blood groups are only two of VERY MANY blood groups and some other (minor) blood groups can be incompatible with donated blood. This has an immediate risk to the health of the patient and/or may cause future problems if further transfusions are required.

I saw a book once on the subject of human blood groups and it was about 10 cm thick - so I looked at it from the outside only.

It is interesting that people with the most common blood type (O+) are in fact at the greatest risk of receiving a wrong transfusion and those with the rarest group (AB-) are at the least risk. ('Most common' and 'rarest' do not apply to all ethnic groups).

 

I pity the victim who goes to a hospital and the doctor relies on his driver's license to decide what blood to give him. The wrong blood "typed" may be fatal.

 

They just ask you what your blood type is there is no testing. You HAVE to give them this info.

You can have a simple blood typing test at most medical laboratories. It is vital to have the correct type on your card in the event of an accident as the wrong blood type may be fatal.

 

So a couple days ago I ask in LTO Robinsons if those who got a 5 year DL in April can get a plastic now. Reply: We have the printer now, but there is a problem.
Me: Will it be ready next month.
Reply: Maybe, but probably not.