(WAVY) — The American Red Cross faces an emergency blood shortage as it has experienced its lowest level of donations in the past 20 years.
It said blood and platelet donations are urgently needed to alleviate the shortage and prevent disruptions in lifesaving medical procedures.
Dr. Daniel Dudley Munn spoke to Digital Host Sarah Goode in a Digital Desk conversation about the blood shortage. Munn is the Director of Trauma Services at Riverside. He discussed the impact of blood donation. Watch the conversation in the video player on this page.
Munn said there has always been changes in supply throughout the calendar year. For example, during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays there has always been a decrease in donations.
“When we already have an all-time low blood supply and then we have that kind of change in a donation rate, it really hits us even harder than ever before,” said Munn.
It is critically important for trauma centers, like Riverside Medical Center, and for medical facilities across the country to have a supply. Munn said it is vital for taking care of patients and for all types of medical services.
Munn shared some of the reasons patients might need blood products routinely.
“It’s very common for cancer patients to require frequent transfusions as part of their treatment,” said Munn. “It’s also very common for folks with sickle cell anemia and other kinds of blood abnormalities that require frequent transfusions.”
He added that blood products are also critical for pediatric patients, especially with cancer or other problems.
On an emergency and trauma services standpoint, it is a live-saving resource.
“It really is the thing that saves most of the lives that we are able to save from critical injuries because we have blood products available,” said Munn.
In these situations, there is really no alternative or substitute that could be used if blood products are needed.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin highlighted the need for blood donations by donating blood himself last Friday in Richmond.
“One of the most distressing situations for a doctor is to have a hospital full of patients and an empty refrigerator without any blood products,” said Dr. Pampee Young, chief medical officer of the Red Cross, the nation’s largest blood supplier, in a statement. “A person needs lifesaving blood every two seconds in our country — and its availability can be the difference between life and death, however, blood is only available thanks to the generosity of those who roll up a sleeve to donate.”
The Red Cross urges people to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets by going to the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
The Red Cross said red blood cells can be stored up to 42 days when stored in refrigerators at 6ºC. Find out more at the link here.
It experienced a nearly 7,000-unit shortfall in blood donations between Christmas and New Year’s Day along.
It expects additional challenges due to winter weather, COVID-19 and the flu.
It said, in particular, that COVID-19 has “accelerated” the decline, as more people are working remotely and make it a challenge to hold convenient blood drives at businesses.
The Red Cross said that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were some eligibility changes put in place to safeguard donors, such as raising the minimum hemoglobin thresholds, which resulted in an uptick in donor deferrals, especially among young donors ages 16 to 18.
There were also changes in blood transfusion protocols at hospitals that impacted the demand for blood.
The Red Cross and the National Football League are partnering in January during National Blood Donor Month to urge people to make a blood or platelet donation, with donors being automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two for the Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. Visit RedCrossBlood.org/SuperBowl for more information.
To donate blood, people need a blood donor card or driver’s license, or two other forms of identification that are required at check-in. People 17 and up (or 16 with parental consent where allowed by state law), weigh at least 110 pounds are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. Those 18 and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.
Blood and platelet donors can save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation before arriving at the blood drive. People can go to the Blood Donor App or go to RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.