By SALINA POST
The nation is in the midst of a severe blood shortage and the need for donations is more critical than ever.
According to the American Red Cross, a rise trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries requiring blood products over recent months has depleted the nation’s blood inventory. The demand for blood from hospitals with trauma centers rose by 10 percent in 2021 compared to 2019. That's more than five times the growth of demand for blood at other facilities that provide transfusions.
“The Red Cross is currently experiencing a severe blood shortage,” said Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Biomedical Services. “Our teams are working around the clock to meet the extraordinary blood needs of hospitals and patients – distributing about 75,000 more blood products than expected over the past three months to meet demand – but we can’t do it without donors. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood.”
According to information from the American Red Cross, hospitals are responding to an atypically high number of traumas and emergency room visits. Twenty to 40 percent of trauma deaths that occur after hospital admission involve massive hemorrhaging. In these dire circumstances, doctors may need hundreds of blood products, depending on the severity of the trauma, to help save a life, the American Red Cross noted.
Patients who deferred care during the height of the pandemic also are straining blood supplies as many now have more advanced disease progression and require more transfusions.
“Some hospitals are being forced to slow the pace of elective surgeries until the blood supply stabilizes, delaying crucial patient care. As we return to pre-pandemic activities and resume travel to visit loved ones, we want people to remember the needs of patients this summer and the power so many of us have to help save lives,” Hrouda said.
The need for type O blood and platelets
The American Red Cross noted that there is an emergency need for type O donors. Type O is the most needed blood group by hospitals, as type O positive is the most transfused blood type and can be transfused to Rh-positive patients of any blood type. Additionally, type O negative is the universal blood type and what emergency room personnel reach for when there is no time to determine the blood type of patients in the most serious situations, the American Red Cross reported.
An emergency need also exists for platelets, the clotting portion of blood, which must be transfused within five days of being donated. The American Red Cross explained that nearly half of all platelet donations are given to patients undergoing cancer treatments – a disease all too familiar to millions of Americans and their families.
What can you do to help?
Numerous blood drives are scheduled through the end of June.
The annual PUMP Up The Volume Salina Community Blood Drive is scheduled for noon to 7 p.m. Monday-Tuesday and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday at Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 825 E. Beloit Avenue. The blood drive is sponsored by Eagle Radio and its entities: 99 KG, 94.5 Prime FM, KINA, and Salina Post.
Radio listeners are challenged to donate during the three-day drive and vote for their favorite participating radio station. The winning station receives bragging rights and a traveling trophy to display for a year.
Since 2010, the Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive has raised more than 4,125 donations, according to information from the American Red Cross. This year’s goal is 234 donations.
Healthy donors are asked to make an appointment to give at this year’s Pump Up the Volume Blood Drive by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.
All who donate through the end of June will receive a $5 Amazon.com gift card by email. Restrictions apply and are available at RedCrossBlood.org/SummerFullOfLife.
Other blood drives in the area include the following.
CLOUD COUNTY
Concordia
Tuesday: noon - 6 p.m., Catholic Church, 307 East 5th
Wednesday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., OCCK Inc, 1502 Lincoln Street
LINCOLN COUNTY
Lincoln
Friday: 1 - 6 p.m., Christian Community Center, 137 N. 4th Street
MCPHERSON COUNTY
Moundridge
Friday: noon - 6 p.m., West Zion Church, 101 S. Washington
REPUBLIC COUNTY
Belleville
Wednesday: noon - 6 p.m., Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 1827 Q Street
SALINE COUNTY
Salina
Monday: 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., OCCK, 1710 W. Schilling Road
Remember, you can make an appointment to give blood by using the Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-733-2767 or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device.