http://www.thedailystar.com/cgi-bin/starsafe.pl
07/14/05
Blood shortage forces rationing by hospitals
By Amy L. Ashbridge
Staff Writer
With a 1½-day supply of some types of blood, the American Red Cross is rationing blood to the hospitals it serves in the region.
Levels for O negative and O positive are at critical levels, said Sybil Miller, a spokeswoman for the New York-Penn Region Blood Services division of the Red Cross.
Those types must be "medically approved" for all hospitals, Miller said Wednesday.
"Medically approved is like rationing a blood type," she said.
"(The request) has to go to one of our medical doctors, and they make the determination," Miller said. "Seldom do we say, ’You’re not getting any.’"
Critical levels mean that there is about a 1½-day supply across the region.
That doesn’t mean that each hospital has only that much blood, Miller said.
"We do that when we have a certain blood type that is in short supply," Miller said. "There’s no shortage of the demand."
One local hospital said it is not affected by the low blood levels.
"We’re in good shape because Sidney gave us all their blood," said Maggie Barnes, spokeswoman for A.O. Fox Memorial Hospital in Oneonta. "They needed to move it and do something with it, so they sent it all here."
The Hospital in Sidney ended its acute-care services Tuesday.
Fox also would have been fine, she said, had The Hospital not closed and given its blood to Fox.
The generalized short supply is a yearly event.
"Unfortunately, the demand for blood goes up, and new donors do not go up to meet it," said Dr. Samantha Davenport, the director of transfusion services at Bassett Healthcare in Cooperstown. "It’s a two-pronged problem."
Davenport said she had O negative blood on her shelf Wednesday morning but that a severe trauma at the hospital could change the situation quickly.
"We have not yet — knock on wood — had to cancel elective surgeries," Davenport said. "We have been close to having to cancel elective surgeries, but we haven’t had to."
That has been mainly luck, Davenport said.
She said she encouraged people to go out to donate blood so hospitals wouldn’t be forced to cancel procedures.
Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., is one of those leading the charge for increased blood donations and awareness.
Schumer, 54, said he gives blood about every six months and last donated between three and four months ago.
The Red Cross’ website says people can safely donate about every 56 days.
"I do it regularly," Schumer said during a conference call Wednesday. "I’ll be doing it again soon."
If more people donated — and did so regularly — a blood shortage like the state is experiencing could be averted, Schumer said.
"It’s worse than it’s been in a long time," he said. "It’s a major problem."
Schumer said his office has determined that 61 people in Otsego County, 47 people in Delaware County, 48 in Chenango County and 31 in Schoharie County would have to donate each month to stop the blood shortage.
Those numbers came from the New York-Penn Region of the American Red Cross and U.S. Census population data.
"It doesn’t hurt," Schumer said. "You don’t even notice the needle going in.
"I donate blood, and I’m back working," he said.
Regular donations are necessary to prevent a shortage, Miller said.
"The situation is not going to turn around completely in just three days," she said. "The key is regular donations, not just when we panic."
You are currently accessing this Site as a guest. Please login or register by clicking Here
Linear Mode
