Bloodworks Northwest has issued an urgent appeal for donors today after supplies fell to emergency levels – a one-day supply or less. Normal inventory is a four-day supply. For the safety and care of patients, Bloodworks has issued a code-red alert, urging blood donations through the next two weeks.
“In the aftermath of the heat wave our inventories have fallen by nearly 25 percent,” James P. AuBuchon, president and CEO of Bloodworks, said in a media release “Prolonged high temperatures and poor air quality kept donors at home, and for many blood types we are now looking at empty shelves.”
“With the solar eclipse on Monday and with up to 1 million people converging on Oregon and Southwest Washington, we need to be ready,” AuBuchon added. “Responding to emergencies requires blood that is already collected, tested, on the shelves and ready for immediate use.”
Type O – which is the most common blood type in the Northwest – is being shipped to hospitals almost as soon as it is collected. People receiving emergency room care have also made extra demands on the tight supply.
“All regions of the US are currently experiencing a shortage, so assistance from other centers is minimal,” AuBuchon said. “We’re relying on local donors to help us respond to this emergency.”
Bloodworks is asking donors who have not donated recently to schedule an appointment as soon as possible at one of its 12 centers, including Tukwila,
130 Andover Park E., and Federal Way, 1414 S. 324th St., Suite B101. There is high demand for Type O blood and for platelets, but all donors are needed.
Donors can schedule an appointment at any donor center by going online at schedule.bloodworksnw.org or by calling 1-800-398-7888. People can also can check online at bloodworksnw.org to find dates and times of mobile drives close to where they live or work.
Blood collections usually fall by 15-20 percent during summer with schools and colleges on break and donors on vacation. But the need for blood is often higher in summer from patients undergoing surgeries, emergency rooms treating trauma victims, people having cancer treatment and surgeons performing organ transplants. It takes about 800 donors a day to maintain a sufficient supply for the nearly 100 Northwest hospitals served by Bloodworks.
Pint for Pint
Registered blood donors who give at the Tukwila donation centers between Sunday, Aug. 20, and Sunday, Aug. 27, will receive a voucher for a pint of beer at Odin Brewing Company, 402 Baker Blvd., Tukwila.
Bloodworks Northwest and eight independent breweries throughout Washington state are teaming up to promote blood donation during the summer months, when donations are typically low.
“In total, our partner breweries have donated 850 free pints of beer (or equal value in food items) for this year’s program,” Joe Ferrara, program manager at Bloodworks Northwest, said in a media release. “We’re so grateful that our community has been so willing to get involved and encourage people to roll up their sleeves and save lives. ”
For more information BloodworksNW.org/pint.
