Red Cross, America’s Blood Centers, AABB Say U.S. Faces Critical Blood and Platelet Shortages

The American Red Cross, America’s Blood Centers and the Association for the Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB) in separate messages this week expressed concerns about the nation’s low blood supply levels and urged individuals to donate to boost supplies.

The American Red Cross said it faces an emergency blood shortage after its national blood inventory plummeted more than 25% in July. The blood groups said the summer’s record heat, as well as recent disruptions in blood collections in the Southeast United States, including a cyberattack on OneBlood and Tropical Storm Debby, have created additional challenges for blood collection. The most needed blood products are platelets, O-positive blood and O-negative blood.

AABB’s Interorganizational Disaster Taskforce, of which the AHA is a member, has been meeting regularly on the situation and is working closely with the federal government and blood centers.

CALL TO ACTION

Hospitals and health systems are encouraged to urge eligible individuals in their communities to make an appointment to donate blood or platelets at their nearest blood collection location. Regular blood donations are a critical resource for hospitals and health systems to provide lifesaving care for their communities. The public understands the lifesaving importance of blood and blood products and often steps forward to donate when made aware of a supply shortage.

RESOURCES

• AAAB, www.WhereToDonateBlood.org
• America’s Blood Centers, www.americasblood.org
• American Red Cross, www.RedCrossBlood.org

FURTHER QUESTIONS

If you have questions, please contact Nancy Foster, AHA vice president of quality and patient safety policy, at nfoster@aha.org, or Roslyne Schulman, AHA’s director of policy, at rschulman@aha.org.