Good question.

I don't work in the ER, but on the floors even if the patient swears their blood type is "X", we're still doing a type and match.

If they've received a number of transfusions in the past they may have developed some antibodies that they didn't know about.

I've had a several patients with previous transfusion histories that gave the blood bank some problems matching for them, and the patients and families didn't have a clue.

Want an easy way to find your blood type, for free? Do what I do all the time, donate blood. Besides getting free coffee/OJ/cookies and Twinkies, and possibly saving someones life, they will tell you your blood type. What a deal! And if you donate enough, you can get a tee shirt, license plate bracket, all kinds of neat stuff! If you are one of the rarer types like my B-, they just love to see you walk in the door...

Well OBG, if you get to Tejas and need blood call me. (B- also)

Just curious what are the "rarities" in order of blood types? Does anyone know?

My recently issued military ID doesn't have my blood type printed on it like the older style ones. But it does have a computer chip, magnetic strip and a barcode. Probably more information there than I care to think about.

Don't know if this is true, so use the proverbial grain of salt...

I think the chip can access or has your entire 201 and medical info. Also possibly some biometric ID info for future use at entry points that might use that technology.

Good info on wiki at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_Type

Thanks.
Having looked that over, I shall remember not to bleed too much!

OBG, Tell the truth, you go there to see all the cute girls that take the blood. The girls tell me I am A+ (but I knew that already, O are you tell me that's my blood type, silly me.)

Biometrics are coming, military first. (well, my dog got his RFID first) Get used to it. The new ID cards will make increasing amounts of data available to anyone with access.

There is a bit of dark humor and macho posturing with labeling or even tattooing blood type on the body, as well as wearing the little velcro blood type patches. But if it reminds you to work on keeping it inside and going 'round and 'round, instead of leaking all over my boots, that's a good thing.

Putting your name and emergency contact info on a tag, patch or your body is a lot more useful than your blood type to civilian medicine, and putting your SSN on each limb (inside boots, bracelets) is more useful to the military.

The whole program ICE (In Case of Emergency)information on your cell phone thing makes sense. But, on the other hand, I've never bothered to look there, and I'm not likely to carry your phone to the ER, either. Hands down, the best place to carry medical ID is a medic alert type bracelet worn on your LEFT Wrist. Bonus points if you can guess why.

Jeff

That is the wrist that can be reached thru the window if you are trapped in the driver's seat of a vehicle?