United Blood Services in Reno has issued a critical public appeal for blood donors of all types because of an extreme blood shortage.
This July, reserves of whole blood throughout United Blood Services service areas ranging from San Francisco to the west through Northern Nevada in the east, and the Oregon border south to Merced, are projected to be at least 4,700 pints below required inventory levels – the equivalent of more than 14,000 lives that could be saved – forcing United Blood Services to issue a critical public appeal urgently encouraging blood donors of all types to give blood now.
Currently, the fluctuating blood inventory level has been trending at an approximate two-day supply for patients, which is half of the ideal quantity needed to provide a safe and available blood inventory.
“It is critical that we are prepared to respond to blood needs because it is a matter of life and death. This unprecedented shortage of blood has great potential to compromise our ability to support the transfusions that physicians need to care for, or even save the lives of, their patients,” said Mary Meeker, Interim Regional Director, Field Operations with United Blood Services. “Additionally, many transfusion-dependent patients have been requiring unusually large quantities of blood components.”
Hospital demand for blood has also increased significantly this year. Compared to last July, approximately 500 more pints of red blood cells are projected to be in demand from hospitals this July. This increase in blood usage among patients, combined with the plummeting levels of blood donations since the Memorial Day holiday has created an extra strain on an already lean blood supply.
Each week, United Blood Services and its partner blood centers need at least 8,000 donors to meet the needs of patients in our community and beyond. Less than 40% of the general population is eligible to donate blood and less than 10% of those eligible actually donate. United Blood Services and its partner blood centers provide blood to more than 100 hospitals throughout Northern Nevada, Northern and Central California, the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world as needed.
Out-of-state resources to meet local patient blood needs have also been exhausted since blood centers across the country are still recovering from the widespread decline in donations. Summer is typically a challenging time to collect blood due to many reasons including: high school and colleges – where many blood drives are hosted – are on summer break, regular blood donors are on vacations, and deferrals due to travel. This summer has been especially impacted by the effects of the Zika virus on several regions throughout the world.
To schedule a donation appointment, please visit bloodhero.com or call 800-696-4484.
United Blood Services is Northern Nevada’s non-profit community blood provider and serves patients at 20 hospitals in the area. The United Blood Services network is one of the nation’s oldest and largest non-profit blood service organizations, and is a founding member of America’s Blood Centers and the AABB.
Susanville Blood Drive Being Held This Week
The blood drive will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 905 Richmond Road on Tuesday, July 12th from 12:00p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Wednesday, July 13th, from 8:30 a.m. until 1:30 p.m.
To schedule your life-saving appointment, call 310-4060 or log on to www.bloodhero.com click donate blood use sponsor code SUSANVILLE.
Walk-ins are welcome just bring your I.D.
All donors will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win neat prizes donated by various local sponsors.
Bring your fast pass and save lives and time with our online health history. The health history must be completed the same day as the donation, it cannot be completed a day or two ahead of time. Start at www.UnitedBloodServices.org
