Are there any tips for getting enough blood?Updated a month ago

Getting enough blood for the blood spot card can be challenging for some people. 

Some tips are to soak your hands in warm water for a while and massage your fingertips to get the circulation going. It is really important that you are well hydrated the day before collection, as calm as possible, relaxed and not in a rush to go anywhere or do anything. If you are cold and or in an anxious state, it will be very hard to get enough blood flowing to your fingertips.  

Try the collection on a day when you are relaxed, warm, calm, well-hydrated and in a calm state. Also, when you poke your finger, please make sure that you are standing up with your hand below your heart while trying to get the blood sample onto the card. 

The important part is that the blood soaks through the back of the card at least the size of a pencil eraser. The best way to make this happen, is to allow the blood to pool on the tip of your finger, until the drop is heavy enough to naturally drip from your finger. Using soft pressure and downward strokes on the finger will encourage the drop to increase in size until it's ready to fall naturally on the card.

If you need extra lancets or a new blood spot card, please email us at [email protected] and we'd be happy to send you more.