Area Hospitals Plead for More Blood Donors

Blood centers often experience a shortage of donations during the holiday season and into the New Year, but now area hospitals are pleading for the public to donate more blood. Area doctors say the shortage could be a matter of life and death. Theyre doing everything they can to stretch the supplies, but volunteer donors are desperately needed. Doctor Antti Maran is a pulmonary specialist. He deals with patients affected by lung diseases. He says his patients are in danger of dying if blood banks arent replenished. "The folks who need blood are at high risks, a higher risk, of morbidity and mortality without that blood," he explains. Doctor Gary Lyles works in the blood bank at St. Francis Hospital North in Monroe. He says he prefers to have 15 units of each blood type on hand. But hes checked with other local hospitals, and there is only 10 units of type O blood in Monroe that have not already been designated for use. "We can use ten units in any major trauma case in the matter of an hour," he said. He said the reason for the blood shortage is simple. "Not enough donors. Bloods dependent on donors. If you dont have donors, you dont have blood," said Lyles. Lyles says if a serious emergency did occur within the next few days, the small supply they do have might not meet the demand "We get an auto accident, were in big trouble. We get another gunshot wound like we had last week; were in big trouble. We can not help them," said Lyles. Maran says if a trauma did occur, elective surgeries could be cancelled or postponed. "God forbid a car wreck, but that patient who has no blood has to have the blood we have versus the patient who needs a surgery badly, but is still sort of elective and can be postponed," he said. He also says this is more than a matter of convenience. "Oh this is safety. This is life. This is not convenience; this is life." St. Francis says blood types O and B are most needed. Theyre asking anyone able to donate, to do so. The hospital is hosting an emergency blood drive Friday 10- 4 at both the downtown and north locations. (Copyright 2008, NBC 10/ FOX 14 News, Written by Casey Ferrand)