Tuesday, August 10, 1999
Plea out for blood donors
Hoxworth declares emergency
BY TIM BONFIELD
The Cincinnati Enquirer
For the second time in two months, Hoxworth Blood Center has announced an emergency appeal for donors.
It is the first time in several years Hoxworth has called two emergency drives so close together — a situation that further illustrates a nationwide lack of interest in giving blood.
“People just aren't showing up,” Hoxworth spokeswoman Marsha Terry said. “Only about 5 percent of the eligible population actually gives blood. That's a real problem.”
Through Monday, Hoxworth's neighborhood centers in Anderson Township, Blue Ash, Corryville, downtown, Fort Mitchell, Springdale and Westwood will be open extended hours.
The need is greatest for Type O blood. But all types of donors are wanted.
There is no single reason for the shortage. While demand for blood — for everything from trauma care to bone marrow transplants — has steadily increased, donations have failed to keep pace.
Locally, employee turnout at corporate blood drives has been dwindling and fewer new groups and new donors are coming in. Even the recent hot weather might have chased donors away, Ms. Terry said.
Even after a successful emergency appeal in early June, day-to-day donations dipped in July. Hoxworth collected 5,863 units in July, about 8 percent less than the 6,393 last July.
Hoxworth also missed out on some bonus donations. Church groups and other con ventions that met in Cincinnati last year donated 400 units in July 1998. There were no such donations this July.
“We shouldn't be counting on out-of-town conventioneers anyway,” Ms. Terry said. “We should be giving enough to take care of our own.”
Hoxworth announces emergency appeals whenever the supply dips more than 350 units below projected need and efforts to import blood from other cities fall short.
Supplies of Type O blood were 412 units below projected need Monday, worse than the shortage in June.
Should the appeal fail, Hoxworth would be forced to tell hospitals to cancel elective surgery, a situation that hasn't occurred in many years.
“What we really need are new blood donors, people that haven't ever given or haven't given since high school,” Ms. Terry said.
Since October 1995, Hoxworth has declared six emergency blood appeals. And those emergencies do not include the many times Hoxworth bought blood from other cities to keep up with demand.
Lately, Hoxworth has been unable to buy enough blood from other cities because they also are running short.
From 1994-97, blood collections nationwide have decreased 6 percent while blood transfusions have increased slightly, according to a recent study from the National Blood Data Resource Center.
Unless donations increase, American demand for blood could outstrip supply next year, the study concluded.
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