Smoker or not smoker? What to tell the nurse?

[Giraut]

I'll be giving blood to the Red Cross later today, like I do every 2 months. In the questionnaire form they make donors fill out, they ask whether the donor is a smoker. It stands to reason that they're asking this to know if the blood they'll be collecting will contain nicotine. Since I vape nicotine, should I answer yes?

A colleague of mine reckons they probably ask the question to have an opportunity to propose quitting strategies when you have the one-on-one with the nurse, just before giving. But she's reviewed my forms many times in the past (in which I've always ticked "smoker") and she's never said anything to me about it. So I guess it's not for that purpose.

Mind you, I could just tell her I vape and it's nicotine-based, but I have a feeling she won't even have a clue what vaping is, and I don't feel like explaining, receiving useless advice on how to quit vaping because nicotine is baaaad, and delaying the line of people waiting to give blood.

 

[cassandraschild]

As a nurses assistant my advicewould be to tell heryou vape with nicotine. Part of this is because some people do have allergies to nicotine. Oddly enough as a child i was pretty allergic to nicotine. Then i started smoking as a teen. Shows how smart i was as a teenager.

 

[Rat2chat2]

I'll have to pay better attention next time, but I don't think I have ever been asked if I smoked. But it is great you give blood. I try to every chance I get. My next visit will be January and it will make my 112 pints. Good luck to you.

 

[Rickajho]

You need to ask the point of the question before answering. It could just be a ruse to provide referrals to smoking cessation therapies. Medically, in context of a blood donation? I have no idea why they would need to know that information.

Would be interested in knowing what the response is.

 

[durianeliquidflavorplease]

I underwent a medical exam for employment recently and the nurse just noted that I have stopped smoking and am currently vaping. He knew about it; vaping is very popular here especially in that commercial district where I had the pre-employment medical. At least he was specific about the info I was giving him.

I've also donated blood a few times. Depending on who's getting your blood, the rules on smoking differ. One told me not to smoke for three hours after giving blood. Another had rules about not smoking hours before getting the needle.

 

[Giraut]

You need to ask the point of the question before answering. It could just be a ruse to provide referrals to smoking cessation therapies. Medically, in context of a blood donation? I have no idea why they would need to know that information.

Would be interested in knowing what the response is.

They ask all kinds of questions - whether you have a STD, AIDS, hepatitis (obviously) but also if you've had a gastric exam in the past 4 months (low risk of carrying hepatitis, apparently), if you've lived in the UK before a certain date (because of mad cow disease and the risk of carrying Kreutfeld-Jacob), if you're a vegetarian (vitamin E deficit), if you drink, if you inject junk with dirty needles, if you exercize, if you like Phil Collins - okay, I made that one up The questionnaire runs on 2 pages in very small characters, and it changes regularly so you don't tick the same boxes without reading the questions out of habit.

I didn't answer anything to the smoker question, so she asked me. I said I vaped nicotine, which totally stumped her. But she ticked yes just in case. I asked her what the question was for: she shrugged and said "Oh I dunno. The head office would know though. Whyduntcha ask them?" Gee, thanks.

I'll shoot the Red Cross an email to enquire.

 

[Mrs C]

I could see nicotine or many of the toxins/chemicals absorbed from smoking being a problem medically in some instances. While vaping is spreading at an astounding rate, we are still a minority. It may be that their screening questions haven't caught up yet.

Will be interesting to now the response you get.

eta:
Now that I think about it, last time I donated, I was instructed not to smoke for a couple of hours afterwards. Perhaps is is related to what after instructions they need to give?

 

[Lana79]

I would say "I use personal inhaler as nicotine replacement" - or something similar...

I also donate blood often and I'm always instructed not to smoke afterwards - they say it might cause light-headiness. And they also wouldn't let me leave until I have at least one sandwich - and I'm not that fond of their sandwiches, so lately I carry some food I like and eat it in front of them...

 

[Traver]

One reason is Smoking is a recognized risk factor for healing complications after surgery
;
Wound healing and infection in surgery: the pathoph... [Ann Surg. 2012] - PubMed - NCBI

 

[cassandraschild]

The reason they tell you not to smoke after a donation (or before if you can) is because the carbon monoxide lowers your O2 stats and with less little red blood cells to carry more O2 you might get light headed or faint. Also because of the surgery complications and potential allergies.

Good on all of you who donate!

 

[AgentAnia]

Do they ask you if you use NRT (gum, patch, lozenge)? If they do, seems to me they're concerned about cotinine levels. If they don't, but ask simply smoker or non-smoker? then who knows what they're concerned about. I agree it would be useful to find out exactly what info they're looking for.

(In my day, they gave you a glass of OJ and a store-bought cookie. Sandwiches? Not sure I'd be confident about where that sandwich came from and how safe it was...)

 

[Giraut]

It's just a "smoker" tickbox. No "How many per day", no "patch" or "gum" question or anything. I sent the Red Cross an email but they haven't answered yet. I wonder if the tickbox is just there to induce guilt in the person who has to fess up to having a disgusting habit...

 

[beckdg]

The reason they tell you not to smoke after a donation (or before if you can) is because the carbon monoxide lowers your O2 stats and with less little red blood cells to carry more O2 you might get light headed or faint. Also because of the surgery complications and potential allergies.

Good on all of you who donate!

Just what i was thinking. Not only might they be concerned with allergens such as to nicotine, they might also be concerned with O2 levels. Not only from carbon monoxide inhalation, but from pulmonary degradation. I imagine well O2 saturated blood would be better for a patient losing pints fairly quickly due to recent trauma than expecting the traumatized body to saturate the blood itself.

I'd imagine there'd be a multitude of reasons that are rarely a concern and/or discussed enough for a nurse to list if one was asked. More than like the standard answer, i'd think would have something to do with motor skills/fainting immediately after a donation. (you might get extra cookies if you look woozy. )

 

[cassandraschild]

Oh the nurses love me when I donate. they know me quite well and LOAD me up with cookies and juices even before I start. I'm their favorite fainter. No idea why, but if I don't get loaded up I ALWAYS faint.