Ink poisoning after donating blood?

Question

I'm just curious. This never occurred to me before, but you know how when you donate blood, they make a couple little marks on your arm with a marker to pinpoint the vein? What if some of the ink gets inside your vein and into your bloodstream when they put the needle in? Is this dangerous?

Answer 1

Tattoos inject ink under the skin and no problems so I would not worry about one little ink spot. I have been stabbed multiple times in the back with a straight pen and I am healthy. Just a few blue spots.

Answer 2

no. non-toxic ink. you should be much more worried by the germs growing on your skin.

Answer 3

Having been a phlebotomist for many years I wonder why they need to mark the vein with an ink pen?  A good phlebotomist would not need to mark the vein.  They should feel for the vein, put a torniquet on your upper arm, feel for the vein again after it pops up from the pressure of the torniquet, cleanse the area and wipe it down with a sterile pad or cotton ball and then put the needle in.  

I don't think that the ink they are using is dangerous or the Red Cross or whoever is in charge of the donor site would not allow it to be used for this purpose...I just find it unusual that they could not find the vein without the need to mark the spot.

Answer 4

No it isn't dangerous! Nothing to worry about.

Answer 5

No, relax.  Blood donation is so closely studied and tracked that they would know if this was a problem.  And any ink that could conceivably "get in" would be in such a minuscule amount it couldn't affect you.  And I doubt there's any thing in the various inks out there that would do much if you injected a pen load.  What would they have, heavy metals?  I don't think so, and not enough anyway.