KY’s blood supplies under ‘severe strain’ due to uptick in transfusions. How to help
The Kentucky Blood Center is operating at suboptimal supply levels and needs donors to provide lifesaving resources to people who need transfusions.
While the shortage isn’t new, an increasing number of transfusions has put additional strain on the system, which some say never fully recovered from the early days of the pandemic.
Eric Lindsey, spokesperson for the Kentucky Blood Center, said about 70% of the organization’s blood donations used to come from mobile units stationed at schools, churches, workplaces and other locations.
“The blood supply situation here has not been ideal by any means for the last kind of two and a half years,” Lindsey said. “...The pandemic really hit us hard here at the Kentucky Blood Center and blood banks across the country, for a lot of different reasons.”
The Kentucky Blood Center has been able to visit some schools and businesses with mobile units since the pandemic has progressed, but Lindsey said he doesn’t foresee mobile unit numbers returning to pre-COVID levels.
Summer is typically a tough time for blood donation organizations, Lindsey said, with an average August day this year seeing about 216 transfusions.
“It’s always a time when need increases because people are out and about and doing more things, which also means that they’re not coming in here and donating as much,” Lindsey said.
But the number of transfusions normally drops off a bit as the weather cools and people stay indoors more, and this year they’ve continued to rise. As of Oct. 17, Lindsey said average October days had 260 transfusions.
An ideal blood supply is enough to last a hospital system three to four days, Lindsey said, and current levels are closer to one day or half a day’s supply.
Blood transfusions can be required in a variety of medical circumstances, including cancer (accounting for 25% of transfusions), premature births, anemia, surgery and certain diseases.
A recent increase in trauma patients has been particularly hard on the state’s hospitals, Lindsey noted, as they’re something medical professionals can’t foresee and they require more blood than some other transfusions.
“There’s been a lot of violence in our area recently that has led to some more traumas. You know, one single trauma patient can use anywhere from 50 units to 100 units (of) blood,” Lindsey said.
Violence, car accidents and other traumatic situations can all cause an increase in the number of transfusions a hospital must perform.
“It’s really put a strain on us,” Lindsey said.
When an already strained blood supply is further stretched to provide potentially lifesaving treatments to trauma victims, those who need organ transplants or other procedures may suffer.
The Kentucky region Red Cross is not currently reporting a blood shortage, but spokesperson Remy Kennedy wrote in an email to the Herald-Leader that O-positive and O-negative blood is critically needed right now.
“Low blood supply could mean cancelled or postponed surgeries. It could mean a sickle cell patient has to wait to receive their transfusion during a crisis. We never want any patient to have to go through that uncertainty,” Kennedy said.
How can you donate blood in Kentucky?
Because human blood has no substitute, it’s extremely important hospitals have enough donations to go around, Lindsey said.
“I would argue with the way we split blood, you’re saving up to three lives when you donate,” Lindsey said. “What more powerful thing can you do than to spend one hour with us and actually save some lives? I mean, I think it’s a pretty special thing.”
To donate blood to the Kentucky Blood Center, you can schedule an appointment online or through the phone by calling 800-775-2522. You can also call the center to ask questions about donating and whether you may be eligible to donate.
Even if you’ve been previously told you can’t donate blood due to a medication you’re taking or a particular medical condition, you can still check in and see whether the situation has changed.
You can also schedule an appointment online to donate blood through the Red Cross. You can call 1-800-733-2767 with any questions regarding donating to the Red Cross.
Red Cross officials announced in an Oct. 24 statement all donors who give between Nov. 1 and Nov. 22 will receive an online gift card for $10 to “a merchant of choice.”
DKMS, an international non-profit organization against blood cancer and blood disorders, held drives Oct. 21 to 23 in hopes to identify a potentially life-saving blood stem cell match for 22-year-old Liberty resident Kendra Wethington.
If you weren’t able to attend the in-person drive, you can register online to become a potential blood stem donor.
Do you have a question about Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
