By Denise Chow – NBC News
The American Red Cross is facing an emergency blood shortage after the national supply fell by more than 25% since July 1.
The organization explained on Monday that extreme temperatures and heat waves affected almost 100 donation campaigns last month in nearly every state where the Red Cross collects blood. Weather affected participation in the events and at times forced organizers to cancel them.
Blood donations typically decline during the summer due to travel and other seasonal activities, but the Red Cross said extreme heat worsened the shortage. In July alone, there was a shortage of blood. more than 19,000 blood donations.
[Las generaciones más jóvenes corren mayor riesgo de padecer 17 tipos de cáncer, según un estudio]
As a result, blood is being sent to hospitals faster than donations are being collected, the organization noted.
A blood donor at the American Red Cross on April 12, 2023 in Louisville, Kentucky.Michael Swensen / Getty Images file
Donated blood is used in many essential medical treatments such as surgery and childbirth. The Red Cross has said donations help save the lives of women with pregnancy complications, trauma patients and people battling cancer and blood disorders, among others.
“When I work with patients who are in critical need of a blood transfusion, I can’t imagine not having blood available for someone I care about who needs it, especially a new mother or a baby who needs a transfusion,” Melissa Destross, a nurse in the labor and delivery unit of a Detroit hospital, said in a statement. “I’ve seen mothers in hemorrhaging situations — after delivery — receive massive blood transfusions for blood loss of over seven liters.”
[Las donaciones de sangre han caído a niveles catastróficos. Los expertos creen que la solución está en los jóvenes]
The Red Cross said blood donors of all types are urgently needed, but especially those with type O blood. This type of blood is often in short supply because O positive is the most common, and O negative is the so-called universal type, needed for emergency transfusions.
“Type O is especially important for people injured in accidents and other trauma requiring emergency care,” said Dr. Barry Siegfried, medical director for the Red Cross Michigan Region, in a statement. “Donors of all blood types can help ensure that hospital supplies are replenished to prevent patient care from being compromised.”
A blood supply emergency was declared across Connecticut last week as supplies there were reduced to less than half of what is optimally needed to meet hospital demand.
The Connecticut Blood Center reported it only has about a three-day supply of type O blood and added that they have not been this low since the start of the COVID pandemic, NBC Connecticut reported.
The centre attributed the shortfall to seasonal peaks in traumatic accidents and a drop in donations. It has put out an urgent call for donations of type O negative and type O positive blood.
The Red Cross also urges people to donate blood by contacting a local blood drive or making an appointment at a donation center (which can be found by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS).
Those who donate by Aug. 31 will receive a $20 Amazon gift card, the Red Cross added.
