There Must Be An Art To

[tamaris]

pricking your finger to get blood into a tiny phial. I don't seem to have the knack.
I'm doing an Nhs/government trial for covid.
I've finished the swab ones and started today on the blood ones.
What a disaster, there was blood everywhere but very little in the phial.
Anyone got any tips ?

[bednobs]

ha! i had to prick my finger 7 times to get enough.
in the end i had a helper.
Have you tried putting your hand in warm water first?

[tamaris]

No lol. The girl took me through the proceedure. But she waited outside. I have up in the end.

[237SJ]

My finger was too cold when I tried to do that. I had to have a couple of attempts.

[Mamyalynne]

I know what you mean, getting blood is one thing - aiming the blood where it should go is another entirely.

Fortunately I only had to fill a small well on my antibody test kit, a phial would be harder.

[tamaris]

There was plenty of blood but not in the pot.

[gingejbee]

When I did it, I washed my hands in hot water first, did the prick then squeezed the end of the finger. (Must say, it's easier if somebody helps...three hands better than two!)

[tamaris]

Yes I have given 122 blood donations and the nurse gets it out no problem. Doing it on your own is very difficult. Of course the person who brings it to me can't come near me to help.

[Buenchico]

This guy seems to have the knack. Perhaps you could learn from him?

[ubasses]

The advice given to us, windmill the arm vigorously, then put heat your hand (I held on to a mug of boiling water). Prick the side of the finger pad, stand up and squeeze the finger downwards so that the drops fall against the lip and slides down into the bottle. Get someone else to hold the bottle with a clothes peg, their finger do not get in the way and it keeps it more stable.
After the kitchen table looked like the chain saw massacre the first time, these hints worked perfectly.
We are doing both swabs and blood.

[Pooka1950]

I did the windmill arm thing and putting my hand in warm water for 2 minutes but I ended up with blood all over my hand and had to use a second finger to finally get enough blood in the little tube. It was such a pain (literally) that I've thought of opting out. :-(

[tamaris]

Ubasses I don't have anyone to help me

[kettledrum]

In addition to what everyone else has said ...
It is VERY IMPORTANT to be really well hydrated. Try to drink 2 pints of water about an hour before you expect the tester to arrive.
And remember that blood flows better if it’s flowing downhill. If you’re able to stand steadily, put the phial on a table below the level of your heart. If you’re sitting the top of the phial may be too high.

[Pooka1950]

I did all that but my bathroom still looked like something out of a horror film!

[tamaris]

I was told to sit whilst doing it.

[Mamyalynne]

It's actually getting those drops of blood to fall where you need them to go that I found the hard part.

[tamaris]

That's it in a nutshell mamy

[sanmac]

I'm surprised that capillary pipettes were not included in the kit. These pipettes would make it a lot easier to collect the sample and deliver it into the tubes. But the inclusion of them would make the kits more expensive.

[tamaris]

Totally agree sanmac

[roopower]

I'm taking part in a long term covid study and had to put a drop of blood in each of five little wells, not too much, not too little and mustn't touch the card. The air was blue!

[tamaris]

Lol at roo