Friday, September 01, 2000

Blood donors needed

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Blood supply gets low as holiday nears

By Cindy Schroeder The Cincinnati Enquirer
and The Associated Press

        As Tristate residents head back to school, or plan that final summer vacation this week, health officials are urging them to squeeze in a blood donation.

        “It's the end of summer, and more people are taking vacations and getting ready for school,” said Meg Wilkens, spokeswoman for Hoxworth Blood Center, which provides blood to 24 Tristate hospitals in 14 counties. “They're doing everything but thinking about giving blood.”

William Gudorf (left) of Independence, chats with nurse Barb Evans while donating blood at the Hoxworth Blood Center office in Fort Mitchell. (Patrick Reddy photo) | ZOOM |

        While blood donations traditionally drop before the Labor Day weekend, the need increases, Ms. Wilkens said.
       

Below emergency stage
        “Our inventories are a little low, but we haven't had to issue any emergency appeals,” Ms. Wilkens said.

        The blood shortage has not prompted Tristate hospitals to postpone surgeries, but that hasn't been the case elsewhere.

        In Louisville, doctors at Jewish Hospital recently put off an open heart procedure and another surgery for a week because supplies of type O blood were low, said Alan Elliott, a hospital administrator. Doctors determined that both surgeries could be delayed at no risk to the patients.

        Mr. Elliott said the hospital was able to perform eight heart surgeries last Friday, but none required type O blood, the one hit hardest by the shortage.

        In the Tristate, Ms. Wilkens said Hoxworth Blood Center has managed to avoid issuing emergency appeals by keeping in touch with occasional donors through phone calls or postcards.
       

Dependable mainstays
        “We've stayed in closer touch with some of our donors this summer,” Ms. Wilkens said. “We've gone to people who haven't donated recently, or people who donate once a year, and have asked them to make another donation.”

        The University of Louisville Hospital and Baptist East, along with Norton Healthcare, which owns five hospitals in the Jeffer son County area, all said they had not yet been forced to postpone any procedures due to a blood shortage.

        But blood supplies for the 58 hospitals covered by the Red Cross region based in Louisville have been extremely tight all summer.

        While Tristate supplies have not reached a critical level, Labor Day travel can mean more traffic accidents, Ms. Wilkens said.

       For information on donating blood, call Hoxworth Blood Center at 451-0910.

       

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