# Blood type/type patches



## Devildoc (Jan 25, 2016)

Blood type patches were becoming popular not long before I got out.  We were told that we were to never rely on the patch but rather go by the dog tags; not that we would be giving anything other than O Neg at my echelon of care at any rate.

Has this changed?  Are they now _scripta sunt legis_ (written law) and good to go?  Or are corpsmen/medics still advised to use dogtags and ignore the patch?


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## Muppet (Jan 25, 2016)

No idea. Never had em in the 90's as a medic. I know SWAT guys that wear them now. I tell them that if they were to go down, they would receive O-neg in shock trauma until they are type crossed and matched. Don't waste their money. 

M.


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## TLDR20 (Jan 25, 2016)

Devildoc said:


> Blood type patches were becoming popular not long before I got out.  We were told that we were to never rely on the patch but rather go by the dog tags; not that we would be giving anything other than O Neg at my echelon of care at any rate.
> 
> Has this changed?  Are they now _scripta sunt legis_ (written law) and good to go?  Or are corpsmen/medics still advised to use dogtags and ignore the patch?



Wear away but you are still getting typed and crossed before getting blood in the CSH. Some units that can do field transfusions it may make a difference, but still unlikely.


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## Devildoc (Jan 25, 2016)

Thanks.  That was  essentially the same 'back then.'  I had someone ask me why it would not be a good idea; this person had never been in the military and just did not understand.  Once I told him what would happen if his patch and mine got mixed up, he got it.


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## Devildoc (Jan 25, 2016)

Muppet said:


> No idea. Never had em in the 90's as a medic. I know SWAT guys that wear them now. I tell them that if they were to go down, they would receive O-neg in shock trauma until they are type crossed and matched. Don't waste their money.
> 
> M.



I recall after Blackhawk Down a lot of my Marines started writing their type on duct tape and putting it on their boots, a la Delta.  I told them OK if they do it but it was meaningless to me.  If the patches had been out then they would have thrown good money after bad getting them.


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## Muppet (Jan 25, 2016)

Oh. A tiny hemolytic reaction is nothing! :wall:

M.


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## Gunz (Jan 25, 2016)

Interesting. We wore our dogtags in our bootlaces. So they wouldn't jingle. But actually so if your boots were all that was left of you they'd know who you were. I got a blood transfusion at 95th Evac, I think. Probably O-neg. Probably from some homeless dope fiend in San Francisco.


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## Red Flag 1 (Jan 25, 2016)

Ocoka One said:


> Interesting. We wore our dogtags in our bootlaces. So they wouldn't jingle. But actually so if your boots were all that was left of you they'd know who you were. I got a blood transfusion at 95th Evac, I think. Probably O-neg. Probably from some homeless dope fiend in San Francisco.


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## digrar (Jan 25, 2016)

Regimental number and blood group tattoos were reasonably prolific in the Australian Army in the 90s. Same again, no one was going to take any notice of it.


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## SOSTCRNA (Feb 1, 2016)

Doesn't mean a thing. We will give O neg or O pos as needed but walking blood bank whole blood is only given when the recipient and donor's types are verified.   The medics/corpsmen that work for our customers ensure their guys have lab-verified types before deployment and we always get a list of types for all players.   We also Cary Eldon cards just in case.


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## policemedic (Feb 1, 2016)

SOSTCRNA said:


> Doesn't mean a thing. We will give O neg or O pos as needed but walking blood bank whole blood is only given when the recipient and donor's types are verified.   The medics/corpsmen that work for our customers ensure their guys have lab-verified types before deployment and we always get a list of types for all players.   We also Cary Eldon cards just in case.


 
Eldon cards are useful, but I always prefer a solid lab type.  I insist on it for my guys.


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## SOSTCRNA (Feb 2, 2016)

policemedic said:


> Eldon cards are useful, but I always prefer a solid lab type. I insist on it for my guys.



Absolutely.  They are handy for partner forces and TCNs but I would be very nervous transfusing anyone based on MY interpretation of Eldon Cards.


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