Preparing for your transfusion

You will receive a letter from the the haematology day unit with the dates for a blood test and your transfusion. 

If you cannot make any of your appointments, please contact the day unit as soon as possible to reschedule.

This is so that your appointment and the blood allocated for you can be given to someone else who also needs it. 

Blood test

You will need to have a blood test 2 or 3 days before your transfusion. 

The blood test will let us know your blood group and if you have developed any antibodies. Each time you have a transfusion, the laboratory will test your blood against the donated blood, so you are transfused with blood that closely matches your own.

It is important to attend your blood test appointment, so we have time to order the blood that you need.

If you have a lot of antibodies, you might need ‘special blood’. This can be more difficult to source and will mean that you have to come for your blood tests 3 days before. This makes sure there is blood available for you when you come for your exchange. Otherwise, your transfusion may be cancelled or delayed.

You can come to the haematology day unit for your blood test, on your appointment date, any time from 9am to 6pm.

Preparing for an EBT

If your veins are large enough, the EBT might be done through a vein in each arm, using a cannula (thin tube). These are often fitted with an ultrasound. 

If your veins are difficult to access, you might need to have a femoral line fitted.

A femoral line is a cannula which is inserted into a big vein in the groin (femoral vein). This is how we deliver the donor blood. It is larger than a normal cannula in your arm. You will be given local anaesthetic to the area beforehand, to numb it and make it less painful. The procedure can be uncomfortable, but should not be painful.

For some patients who have had a lot of femoral lines, the sites become scarred and are more painful. The sickle cell service uses a device called a Port-a-Cath, if you cannot have a femoral line. The Port-a-Cath is situated under the skin and utilises a large vein in the chest.

Some patients are also offered a long-term device called a Vortex port, which is a type of Port-a-Cath.

You can speak to your medical team or specialist nurse for more information.