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BASIC PRECAUTIONS
Be Careful About Wound Location:
As with all bloodletting implements, it's best if you know the safe locations
to use them, or more specifically, the locations NOT to use them. A copy of
Gray's Anatomy or any other decent medical anatomy book will show you the
locations of the major arteries and other things to avoid. Some bookstores
will let you "browse before you buy", or failing that in your area,
perhaps your local library will have a copy of something applicable that you
can browse. You can also use Gray's
Anatomy Online if you cant' afford (or can't find) a good medical anatomy
book local to you.
Screen Your Donor/Yourself:
Just because you need to drink blood doesn't mean you have to ignore the possibility
of fatal diseases. Most cities and towns have some sort of free or low-cost
clinic where you can get blood tests run to verify you/your donor is as healthy
as you/they appear.
Sterilize/Clean Equipment:
Shortgoth wrote an excellent overview on
sterilization methods - I highly recommend reading it. Clean and sterilized
equipment greatly reduces the risk of infection from contaminants. Also be
sure to clean/sterilize the area to be cut on your donor so that there's less
of a chance for surface bacteria to get into the wound.
Because any bloodletting tool can carry the risk of blood-borne disease from
one use to the next, they should be disposed of after every use when practical
(I know people aren't going to want to throw out knives, but razor blades,
lancets and other cheap-to-replace things certainly can be.)
Post-Wound Cleanup:
Wash the wound with an antibacterial wipe, soap and water, or some other cleaning
item. Use an antibacterial cream/ointment (such as Polysporin or Neosporin)
on the would and put a Band-Aid or other bandage on top for ease of healing
and to keep external stuff (such as dirt) from getting into the wound. To
reduce scarring, once it has scabbed over, apply vitamin E oil (the higher
the I.U. rating the better) frequently to encourage the skin to stay moist
and not scar. This WILL be sticky, so it might be easier to keep the wound
covered with a bandage after each vitamin E oil application.
If you have never taken a First
Aid class, do so! It will save potential hassles down the line, and give
you a better understanding of how to care for most types of wounds generally
encountered in day-to-day life.
AUTOLANCETS / LANCETS / PENLETS / MICROLETS (Safest,
Easiest, Most Painless)
I always recommend these to anyone who's unsure what tool or device to use
because they're relatively goof-proof as long as you don't use them over any
bad location (i.e., major arteries, etc.) These are devices commonly used
by diabetics, acupuncturists and people testing their cholesterol (depending
on country and/or area). They also have the advantage of being nearly painless,
relatively inexpensive, and available nearly anywhere diabetic supplies are
sold.
These come in various forms depending on where you are located. See the various
types of lancing devices and their particular lancets so you know what
to look for - not all lancets will function in all devices, and what is actually
available in your area will vary.
Scarring risk is minimal with these, which may or may not be a factor to
a potential donor.
BLADES - RAZOR
Unlike a lancet which leaves a small hole, a razor blade can be used to slice,
and thus get a larger amount of blood. This is not recommended for the injury-squeamish
or for those who are nervous about the whole bloodletting thing!
Different people have different preferences for location, I usually recommend
the top of the shoulder, between the base of the neck and the outside of the
shoulder. This would be about where a bra strap would fall, so you may need
to work around that location if necessary. Others prefer over the shoulderblades
themselves on the back. The key is to be over a muscle group, and LIGHTLY
cut. There's usually enough blood just under the upper layers of skin to be
able to get a decent feed and light cuts won't leave too nasty a mark on the
donor.
There's always a risk of scarring with this or any other type of bladed instrument,
which can be minimized by cleaning the wound and frequently applying a high
I.U. strength vitamin E oil as it's healing.
Here's some images of the types of razor blades I'm discussing here:
Safety razorblade:
Typically used in paint scrapers tools. One side is covered to reduce injury
when used by hand. Not to be confused with a safety
razor. |
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Doublesided razor:
These are typically used in safety
razors - not disposables - where just the blade is replaced. (Safety razors
aren't as popular now with the advent of disposables, but the blades are still
made.) |
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BLADES - KNIVES, SCALPELS, X-ACTOs AND OTHER KNIFELIKE
BLADES
Shortgoth wrote an excellent overview on
blades which I also recommend reading. Scalpels are not really that much
sharper than a razor blade, and are not always made to last - i.e., they may
get dull faster than razor blades do.
Scarring risk is the same or greater with knives (depending on the size of
the blade, the type of blade and how it's used) so the tip about vitamin E
oil mentioned above applies to this as well.
TEETH
I know there's folks out there that prefer using teeth instead of a sharp
instrument, whether for expediency, because they feel they "have to"
because it's more vampiric, or whatever other reason they come up with - however
it's not recommended because the mouth IS a known breeding ground for many
germs that can be nasty if they get into the bloodstream.
I don't recommend this - especially if you're worried about losing control
- but If you feel you MUST do this, then use Listerine or another sanitizing
mouthwash beforehand (brushing can make small cuts in the gums that allow
passage of bloodborne disease from you to the donor or vice-versa - even if
there's nothing serious like aisd, a "simple" stomach bug can ALSO
be passed in this manner.) Also sterilize the area to be bitten. Use proper
cleanup procedures afterward for best healing results.
NEEDLES
Also known as "the fastest way to scare a nervous donor..." :)
Needles should NEVER EVER be used on someone else by anyone who isn't a trained
phlebotomist. Ever. No ifs ands or buts about it. It's too easy for the untrained
to possibly kill a person, or cause serious or critical injuries with a needle.
There's enough other methods to use that I really don't feel I can add any
other comments about this method.
This article is presented as part of an ongoing effort to present other views outside of, as well as within, the online vampire community. Those of us who consider ourselves vampiric don't always look at things from the same viewpoint due to our life experiences. As such, the views and opinions contained in this article are entirely those of the author(s), and may not necessarily be shared by SphynxCatVP. The webmaster is not under obligation to update or otherwise keep current the contents of this article. Most importantly, only you can decide for yourself whether this article or any of the author(s) other views are useful or applicable to you - you are responsible for using your own reasoning and judgement, so judge wisely.
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