Red Cross declares blood shortage emergency
The American Red Cross is urgently calling for blood and platelet donations ahead of the “100 Deadliest Days” of summer after a sharp drop in donations caused the national blood supply to fall by several thousand units in just one week.
A representative from the Red Cross recently told members of the Plymouth Noon Rotary Club that scheduled donations which account for about 90 percent of all blood donations, have declined significantly in recent weeks as the country enters the dangerous stretch between Memorial Day and Labor Day commonly referred to as the “100 Deadliest Days.”
According to AAA, fatal crashes involving teen drivers rise by 30 percent during this period. The summer months often bring an increase in severe injuries caused by car crashes, ATV accidents, sports injuries and other seasonal activities, the Red Cross spokesman said.
“A single person injured in a serious car accident can require up to 100 units of blood,” she added.
“For a person suffering from severe bleeding — and the emergency medical responders caring for them — stopping the bleeding and stabilizing them is a race against an unforgiving clock,” said Dr. Emily Coberly, medical director for the Red Cross. “Every minute matters.”
Coberly said the risk of death increases by 11 percent for every minute a patient experiencing hemorrhagic shock goes without a blood transfusion.
The nonprofit said summer travel, school breaks, extreme heat and severe weather can all disrupt blood drives and make it harder to maintain a stable blood supply during one of the busiest trauma periods of the year.
A blood drive is planned from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. July 7 at the Plymouth Cultural Center, located at 525 Farmer.
Donors can schedule an appointment through RedCross Blood.org and enter sponsor code plymouth.com or call 1-800-Red Cross (1-800-733 2767). Streamline donation time by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/RapidPass to complete a pre-donation reading and health history question.
To be eligible to donate, individuals must be in good health and feeling well and must be at least 26 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds.
Donations can be made every 56 days, up to six times each year.
While all blood types are needed, the Red Cross is urgently seeking donors with type O, A negative and B negative blood. O positive, the most frequently transfused type, is compatible with 85 percent of patients, while O negative, the universal blood type, is critical in emergencies. B negative, found in less than 2 percent of the population, and A negative, found in only 6 percent, are both rare and essential because patients with these blood types can only receive transfusions from donors with the same type or O negative blood.
