Shortage Spurs Emergency Appeal for Donated Blood

The nation is experiencing a critical shortage of blood, leading the American Red Cross and blood banks to issue emergency appeals Thursday for Americans to donate.

“We are afraid lives will be lost,” said Marcia Lane of the American Assn. of Blood Banks.

Officials blamed snowstorms in the East, the Beijing flu that has sickened people in at least 17 states, and the holiday season for the shortage.

The Red Cross has 33,000 units of blood in its national inventory, contrasted with a normal level of 67,000, spokeswoman Margaret McCarthy said. The agency’s usual three-day supply of blood has dropped to one day’s worth. Stocks of Type O, the most-transfused blood type, are 29% below emergency levels, she said.

“If we have another storm and couldn’t transport blood from one region to another that needs it, we could have some real, real dangerous situations,” McCarthy said.

Blood banks typically experience holiday shortages, but this year was unusually low. And, although donations usually jump immediately after New Year’s Day, they have not picked up this year.

On Tuesday, blood collections totaled 8,000 units fewer than expected. Snowstorms across the East canceled blood drives this week, and other donors were turned away because they had the flu, McCarthy said.

Sixteen of the 45 Red Cross regions have appealed for emergency blood donations: Atlanta; Buffalo, N.Y.; Birmingham and Mobile, Ala.; Charlotte, N.C.; Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Dedham, Mass.; Detroit, Flint and Lansing, Mich.; Little Rock, Ark.; Los Angeles; Miami; Peoria, Ill., and Philadelphia.

Another nine cities reported emergency shortages to the Assn. of Blood Banks: Dallas; Houston; Tampa, Fla.; Indianapolis; Chicago; New Orleans, and San Francisco, San Bernardino and Fresno, Calif.

Blood banks asked people living in the hardest-hit areas to call their local Red Cross or hospital to make appointments to donate blood. Donations need to be staggered because whole blood has a shelf life of 42 days, and blood products such as platelets can be used for only five days after donation.