First, a wipe of the thumb to sterilize, then, prick! Easy for some and scary for others, the finger prick to measure Hemoglobin levels is a staple before every blood draw. But: What if the traditional shot was replaced with scanning technology? The new noninvasive Hemoglobin sensor was introduced to Utica High School students during their Red Cross Blood Drive on Feb. 11.
National Honor Society volunteer and blood donor senior Nate Rineer shared his experience after encountering the technology for the first time.
“The Hemoglobin measuring technology was really cool,” Rineer said. “I had never seen it before, nor had it done on myself. It is a small device that went around my thumb, and it would squeeze and then release a few times and eventually showed my Hemoglobin levels.”
Rineer is also a member of HOSA [Future Health Professionals] at Utica, as well as a school-to-work student who spends half of his day in the Emergency Room at Troy Beaumont. He explained how interested he was in observing blood collections from a new perspective.
“I usually will have to do blood runs at the hospital where trauma patients come in and need blood, so I will run down to the blood bank to get some,” Rineer said. “Now I’m seeing how the blood in the blood bank, which I go to so often, gets stocked.”
Also a member of HOSA, Blood Drive coordinator senior Ava Brunning, expressed how she felt watching the new technology work after promoting the blood drive and filling up all 60 appointment slots.
“I love the medical advancements,” Brunning said. “I think they are much easier than a lancet and bring in more donors because people don’t have to worry about a needle being used on them twice. Not to mention, it’s faster and makes the blood drive more efficient.”
Ultimately, 35 students successfully donated blood, breaking last year’s record of 32 successful blood donations. One of those students being senior Inriki Polus, who wanted to help combat the severe nationwide blood shortage.
“It wasn’t uncomfortable or anything. Everything went smooth and they walked me through everything,” Polus said. “I wanted to donate to help support and aid in the nationwide blood shortage.”
To help save lives by donating blood and combat the nationwide blood shortage, the Red Cross allows you to find local drives using your zip code and schedule an appointment through their website: Schedule a Blood, Platelet or Plasma Donation | American Red Cross
