Red Cross Issues Urgent Plea for Blood Donations
By Physician’s Briefing Staff HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 8, 2024 -- The American Red Cross has declared a national blood shortage emergency as donations plummet to the lowest levels seen in 20 years.
"One of the most distressing situations for a doctor is to have a hospital full of patients and an empty refrigerator without any blood products," Pampee Young, M.D., chief medical officer of the Red Cross, said in a news release from the organization. "A person needs lifesaving blood every two seconds in our country -- and its availability can be the difference between life and death; however, blood is only available thanks to the generosity of those who roll up a sleeve to donate."
An upsurge in donors of blood and platelets is needed immediately.
There is an added incentive right now: Donors have a chance to win tickets to this year's Super Bowl, courtesy of the NFL. Volunteers can sign up to donate now by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 800-RED-CROSS (800-733-2767) to find their local donation center.
Americans' blood donations have charted a steady decline over the past two decades, dropping by about 40 percent during that time, according to the Red Cross. That leads to crises like the 7,000-unit shortfall in donations that occurred between Christmas and New Year's Day.
Winter is typically a tough time for donations, with bad weather or illnesses like colds, flu, or COVID keeping people away from donation centers. Add to that the shift by many Americans to remote work, which makes donation less convenient for many, the Red Cross said. Finally, new blood donation protocols, such as raising minimum hemoglobin requirements, have meant fewer people (especially teens) are eligible to donate.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted January 2024
Read this next
ACC: Ticagrelor Monotherapy Cuts Bleeding Risk in Acute Coronary Syndrome
MONDAY, April 8, 2024 -- Treatment with ticagrelor alone results in a lower rate of clinically relevant bleeding compared with ticagrelor and aspirin among patients with an acute...
Earlier Receipt of Whole Blood Transfusion Improves Survival
WEDNESDAY, Feb. 7, 2024 -- For patients presenting with severe hemorrhage, receipt of whole blood (WB) transfusion earlier within the first 24 hours of emergency department...
Amid Continuing Shortage, Red Cross Repeats Call for Blood Donors
WEDNESDAY, Jan. 24, 2024 -- As a series of severe winter storms this month has exacerbated the shortage of lifesaving blood, the American Red Cross is again urging people to...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.