Blood donors needed as record breaking heat disrupts blood drives nationwide; Those who come to give blood in August will receive a $20 Amazon.com Gift Card WASHINGTON , Aug. 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Red Cross faces an emergency blood shortage after its national blood inventory plummeted more than 25% in July.
This summer's record setting heat is a significant contributor to recent blood collection challenges impacting more than 100 blood drives in the last month — in nearly every state where the Red Cross collects blood — further compounding other typical seasonal obstacles to blood donation, such as vacation travel and summer activities. Meanwhile, hospital demand for lifesaving blood products has remained constant — rapidly drawing down the blood supply. The Red Cross is working with hospitals around the clock to meet the blood needs of patients.
However, due to the supply of type O blood being so low, the organization has had to reduce distributions of this vital blood type in recent weeks to below hospital comfort levels. "Having type O blood products readily available is vital to providing timely and lifesaving care to patients in need," said Dr. Baia Lasky , division chief medical officer for the Red Cross.
"In fact, for a patient suffering massive blood loss, like an individual in a car accident or a mom experiencing a severe postpartum hemorrhage, group O is the most commonly transfused blood type. For trauma patients, each minute of delay can incre.