If your arm hurts or feels sore while giving blood please alert a member of staff. Occasionally, bruising of the arm may develop. The bruise may look dramatic and some people can find this worrying, especially if it appears away from the donation area. Bruises are usually harmless and will disappear with time and it is normal for them to spread out before fading.
Sometimes it is necessary to advise donors that they should not become a blood donor or to no longer give blood. We would like to stress this decision is not taken lightly and is made after considering all factors involved.
Thank you for giving up your time to come along. You could still support us by encouraging others to donate. These are uncommon risks associated with venepuncture and t here is more information about this in our donor consent booklet.
We advise that you avoid heavy lifting and strenuous activity. DO NOT immobilise your arm as this could cause further complications — gentle exercise will aid your recovery. This can be reduced by using finger pressure on the site for a minute or so after the blood has been taken. Bruising is more likely if the collection is difficult, if pressure is not maintained on the site for a minute or so, if you are taking anti-clotting medicines such as aspirin or warfarin, if you are an elderly person with fragile veins, or if you exercise your arm soon after the blood test — such as by lifting heavy shopping bags or going to the gym.
While bruising is unsightly it is not dangerous and will slowly disappear over a few days or weeks, depending on how extensive it is. Large bruises may become tender for a few days because the cells that are involved in mopping up the bruise release substances that cause the area to become sore.
This is uncommon but again not dangerous. It is part of the healing process. However, if the tenderness is bothering you, you should contact the person or clinic where you had the blood taken. Very rarely, a small artery, which contains blood at much higher pressure than in veins, will lie unusually close to or underneath a vein. In this situation, the artery may be accidentally punctured.
If this happens, you generally become aware of it within a few minutes because a painful deep swelling can be felt and sometimes seen. Tell the collector if this happens as it is necessary to apply firm pressure to the area for at least five minutes. Almost inevitably you will develop extensive and sometimes spectacular bruising on the lower part of the arm over the next two to three days because the blood leaks to the underside of your arm with gravity.
While this may appear dramatic it is not dangerous and will gradually disappear over a couple of weeks. There are some rare complications but you have to be unlucky to suffer one of these. For example, you may have a tiny branch of one of the sensory nerves of the arm actually running over the surface of the vein.
Rarely, the needle will hit this tiny nerve on the way into the vein. This may cause a short, sharp electric-shock type pain. This may be all that happens; however in some cases tingling type of pain may persist for one to four weeks, as the nerve heals.
This is inconvenient and may be unpleasant but it eventually heals up. Another rare complication is for a small clot or thrombus to form in the vein at the site where the needle was inserted. A hematoma is another name for a bruise. A hematoma or bruise is a collection of blood beneath the skin. Hematomas are the most common adverse reaction to venipuncture. There are many factors that can contribute to the formation of a bruise. If the phlebotomist pushes the needle too far into and through the vein, blood leaks out of that opening and into the surrounding tissue.
Bruising after a blood draw is common and not typically a cause for concern. However, if a person does experience severe discomfort, they should seek medical attention. Taking some preventive steps, such as applying pressure to the puncture site and refraining from lifting heavy objects, can help reduce the chance of a bruise appearing.
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