The American Red Cross is now warning about a "severe" blood shortage and putting out an urgent call for donors to step forward to give.
"Some hospitals are being forced to slow the pace of elective surgeries until the blood supply stabilizes, delaying crucial patient care," Chris Hrouda, president of Red Cross Biomedical Services, said last week in a news release.
It hasn't yet come to that at Toledo area hospitals, but considering they source their blood supplies from the Red Cross, they, too, are stressing the urgency for donations.
"If they ran out of product and we're not able to meet our needs, then that's when we would have to start escalating to hospital leadership to make decisions on what services can be provided," Kristy Short, manager of transfusion services at ProMedica Toledo Hospital, said. "We have a team for that just in case right now, but we have not had to go in that direction."
Mercy Health is also on guard.
Dr. Kevin Casey, chief clinical officer at Mercy Health — Toledo, said in a recent news release that the hospital is "working to be as conservative as appropriate" while it waits for blood supplies to replenish.
In order to "ensure that all area residents will receive the care they need when they need it," community members need to donate, he said.
Though all blood types are needed, those with Type O blood are especially encouraged to give.
Type O positive is the most transfused blood type and Type O negative is the universal blood type, which means it can be given to any patient in emergency situations where there's no time to blood match. The Red Cross says it has less than half a day's supply of both after a 10 percent increase in red cell orders from trauma hospitals in 2021, compared with 2019.
In the last three months alone the Red Cross has distributed about 75,000 more blood products than expected, Mr. Hrouda reported.
Toledo, itself, has likely contributed to the increase in demand after a record 61 homicides in 2020 and another 28 in the first six months of this year.
Trauma services have increased about 30 percent in the last year just at ProMedica, which is a level one trauma center, Ms. Short said. Meanwhile, they're receiving only about half of their typical Type O blood supply.
"We use [blood] continuously," she said. "There are alternatives to transfusion, but when there's emergency services, blood is that product that we need to be able to save patients' lives."
Blood isn't just needed for emergency reasons. It's also used for transfusions in oncology patients and in surgeries, organ transplants, and other elective medical procedures.
When responding to massive hemorrhaging, doctors may need hundreds of blood products to restore a person's supply.
"Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood," Mr. Hrouda said.
Because blood is perishable and can only be stored between 21 to 25 days, new donors are constantly needed to fill in between regular donor visits. A single person must wait at least 56 days between donations of whole blood and 112 days between Power Red donations.
Platelet donations are also in demand, nearly half of them going to patients undergoing cancer treatments, the Red Cross says. Platelet donors may give every seven days, up to 24 times a year.
All are needed.
"Giving blood is the most meaningful way you can help your neighbor and your community," Bob Baxter, president of Mercy Health — Toledo, said in a news release.
Donors must be 17 or older — or 16 with parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in generally good health. Donors must also present a blood donor card, driver's license, or two other forms of identification to sign up.
Those who have had coronavirus or have received the vaccine are eligible to give after waiting the requisite 14 days.
Several donation events are scheduled in Toledo, Maumee, and Perrysburg this week, with the Red Cross offering a $5 Amazon gift card to anyone who donates through June 30. To find a location near you, visit redcrossblood.org/give.
First Published June 21, 2021, 11:08am
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