LOS ANGELES : Drop in Blood Donors Creates Serious Shortage
A decrease in the number of donors at the end of the year has created a dangerous shortage of blood in the Southland, the Los Angeles division of the American Red Cross said Monday.
Dr. Richard Krieg of the Red Cross said there is a special need for Group O Positive blood, and for Group O Negative, the blood group that may be transfused to any patient.
“Not only could the current shortage affect surgery patients and accident victims, but there are many people who receive blood on a regular basis to sustain life,” Krieg said.
The Red Cross frequently ships blood from other regions this time of year. But a storm now hitting the Midwest and East Coast makes it less likely that blood will be available, Krieg said.
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