Scraping the barrel

Posted by @ 8:58 pm on Tuesday 19th March, 2019.

The platelet fiasco continues...

Remember Wednesday, when my platelet count was 14? When I needed an infusion but someone had forgotten to order anything?

Remember Thursday, when they managed to get me a bag from Sheffield, and said that I'd need more within the next day or so?

Well, they didn't give me any on Friday, as Thursday's bag had boosted my count to 32, but they said that I would need some more soon and would order some for Sunday.

On Sunday the count was down to 17 but no platelets were forthcoming.

Monday, and more of the same... count even lower at 13, but still no infusion.

And today, Tuesday, at about 06:30, they took another sample. I wasn't told the results until a full 12 hours later and I think I know why - the platelet count was 6. That was 6 this morning, it could well be down to 3 by now. And again there's no evidence that any timely order was raised. LRI's blood-bank have nothing for me. If we'd had the results by, say, noon, we could have sorted the issue with minimal fuss, if Sheffield had any suitable HLAs then they could have been here and in by now. But no, that would have been too easy.

I fail to see the point of taking samples on a daily basis, testing them on a daily basis, and then ignoring the context of the results on a daily basis. It's a terrible waste of time, effort and funding for everyone involved.

I'm getting testy again. Stern words are being had - I'd bite my lip but that could have disastrous consequences. I'm told that another urgent order has been raised, until then I have to grin and bear it until the blood-biker gets here. They are giving me a dose of TXA to get me through.

Could be an interesting night.

3 Responses to “Scraping the barrel”

  1. BG! says:

    Informed that some platelets had arrived at LRI's blood-bank for me, it took a while for them to work their way through to me but they're going in right now.

    The label says that they were bled on 15th March, allowing for processing they would have been "in the system" and available for ordering from Saturday onwards. That supports my assertion that no order was raised for them on either Sunday or Monday. I can only assume that no orders were raised on Thursday or Friday of last week.

    We're looking at a bag of 232mL here, all the way from NHSBT Manchistoh, that might keep me going for a day or two but not longer. Common-sense and basic maths dictates they need to put in another order TODAY for get another bag here in time for Friday. Will it happen? Want to lay any bets on it?

  2. Nick Harris says:

    Take the bull by the horns - get a copy of the order form and fill some in yourself, then get them signed. Time to start self dosing!!!!

  3. BG! says:

    Originally Posted By Nick Harris
    ... get a copy of the order form and fill some in yourself...

    If the order form wasn't an online thing requiring sign-on, I'd have done it by now. I'll loiter near the admin area to see if I can blag a password 🙂

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