“Is it safe for an anemic patient to check their blood frequently?”
My mother has diabetes and is used to checking her sugar levels 2-3 times a day. However, now she is anemic also. Are frequent pricks for blood test safe for her?
4 Answers
Yes but may need to see her Dr for occasional hamoglobin and iron check
Mun Li Pang
General Practitioner
Yes, the amount of blood loss from finger prick test is minimal. There is concern if she is losing blood elsewhere like in stools, and iron deficiency, so she needs to be checked further by a GP.
There no danger of bleeding from blood tests, unless the patient is on anti-coagulation therapy or is afflicted by haemophilia (bleeders). Even such need to check their blood sugar frequently if they have diabetes and can offset the bleeding by applying pressure to the wound.
The risks of an anemic patient checking their blood frequently. is a complex question. If they are checking for anemia, rarely will it require checking more than daily at most. Normally the amount of blood needed for checking for hemoglobin (checked for anemia) is so small, that checking the blood does not affect the anemia.
