Blood donations drop across nation, Red Cross says

ONE-DAY SUPPLY

By Tammy Raddle ~ Southeast Missourian

Cape Girardeau physician Dr. C. John Ritter is recovering from a liver transplant at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis. The complicated surgery required a transfusion of 135 units of blood and blood products.

Mary Burton of the Cape Girardeau office of the American Red Cross said Ritter's need for blood highlights a wider need.

"Dr. Ritter required a large amount of blood, and that just shows how important the availability of blood is in saving lives," Burton said.

The Red Cross reports having about a one-day supply of blood available. The preference is to have at least a three-day supply at all times.

The shortage is driven by several factors -- some of them expected, and at least one somewhat unexpected, said David Palmer, territory manager for the American Red Cross.

"It's fairly normal for us to be short on blood supplies during the summer months for two reasons," Palmer said. "One, as people go on vacation and the kids are out of school, people fall away from their normal schedules, including giving blood. At the same time, because people are traveling more, the accident rate tends to go up, creating more demand for blood."

Sept. 11 factor

The unexpected factor in the blood shortage is Sept. 11. The nation saw an outpouring of generosity and blood donations in the wake of the crisis. The news was full of reports about blood donations and that supply that was actually extending beyond demand.

Nine months later, people still think plenty of blood is available.

Not true, Palmer said.

"People forget that blood only has a shelf life of 42 days," he said. "Normally April and May are good months for blood collection, but this year we are running 10 to 15 percent lower than normal. So when we combine that with the increased need in the summer months, we find that we are at a very serious point."

Palmer said that all types of blood are in short supply, but O negative and A negative types are in seriously short supply.

"We have 120 hospitals in the Missouri-Illinois region to keep supplied with blood. That translates to at least 1,100 units of blood per day to meet our average need," he said.

But if an national emergency were to occur, whether a natural disaster or another terrorist attack, much more blood could be needed.

To help meet the need, the American Red Cross has announced a number of blood drives to be held in Cape Girardeau. Three of them are designated to honor Ritter:

June 25, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park.

July 5, noon to 7 p.m. at Westfield Shoppingtown West Park.

July 10, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Francis Medical Center.

Other upcoming drives being held are from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday at the University Center on the Southeast Missouri State University campus, and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday at Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Regular blood drives are also scheduled the last Wednesday of every month at the Cape Senior Center. The next one is scheduled from 2 to 7 p.m. on June 26.

traddle@semissourian.com