Amid blood supply emergency, New Jersey governor urges people to donate
New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill is urging people to donate blood after one of the state's leading blood banks declared an emergency over critically low levels.
This is the season when the need for blood goes up, but donations are down. Now, officials are trying to reverse that potentially dangerous trend.
Historically, more car crashes and accidents happen in the summer, sending people to hospitals, with many needing blood transfusions.
But blood banks traditionally see a decline in supplies in the summer.
New Jersey Blood Services, a nonprofit blood center, has declared a blood supply emergency with collections down 15%. It says that in May, there were 4,500 fewer donations than needed to meet hospital needs.
"From the hospital and blood bank perspective, that means we have to be prepared to respond quickly with life-saving transfusions and emergency care when these critically injured patients arrive," pathologist Dr. Xiomara Fernandez said.
The American Red Cross says 25% of trauma patients require blood transfusions, and up to 5% of them will need 10 or more units of blood, which can quickly deplete a hospital's supply.
Donations tend to go way down in the summer because of school breaks, extreme weather and travel.
"It definitely impacts the treatment of patients that are coming in for emergency situations, surgery patients, patients that are being treated for leukemia or cancer. If the platelets and stuff aren't there, we have to work to find them from other areas or transfer them from other blood banks," said Linda Wienclaw with New York Blood Center.
To help ensure a stable national blood supply, the Red Cross is calling on eligible donors to roll up their sleeves.
All blood types are needed, especially type O, which is often used for trauma patients. There's also a need for plasma and for platelets, which only have a five-day shelf life.
"When someone is able to come and donate, that is one of the most simplest and most direct ways to help save lives among your own community," Fernandez said.
In addition to what's called trauma season, officials want to increase blood supply levels to be able to also cover some big upcoming events, including the World Cup.
