RWJBarnabas Health is issuing a reminder to all New Jersey residents that blood and platelet donations are desperately needed to help combat a severe shortage statewide this winter.
What is contributing to the blood shortage?
According to Sally Wells, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) Blood Services Business Development Liaison, the shortfall was first caused by an increase in COVID HV.1 cases and is projected to worsen due to an annual decline in winter donations.
The problem is ongoing. People, in general, have not been as diligent in seeking out locations where they can donate blood, according to Wells. Donor recruiting and marketing to potential blood donors has also grown more challenging since the outbreak.
Wells stated that she recently received confirmation from one of the hospital’s key blood suppliers that they will begin metering the blood inventory in the Barnabas hospital immediately.
That instance, they will examine the hospital’s historical blood usage for this time period and set the criteria to ensure that the facility does not exceed it.
“If, for whatever reason, there is a critical situation or a need to increase our imports into the hospitals, then there will be an extra special effort on behalf of the hospitals to get the blood collection agencies to agree to send additional product,” Wells said.
The metering is being implemented because blood providers are anticipating a significant shortage. Wells stated that they want to ensure that they have adequate goods to care for all of the patients in all of the hospitals with which they have contracts.
Why are there fewer blood donations in the winter?
According to Wells, there are three major reasons why blood donations are low in New Jersey during the winter. Two considerations are the weather and the cold and flu season.
The other factor is availability, because most colleges and institutions are closed from the middle of December to the end of January. High schools are also closed for one to two weeks at this time. Because these institutions supply a proportionate amount of blood throughout the state, it is always a major issue, according to Wells.
“Also, throughout the winter months, as people are busy holiday shopping, prepping and seeing family, donating blood often falls off people’s to-do lists,” Wells said.
Why are blood donations so important?
A unit of blood is approximately 500ml of liquid. According to Wells, it is then separated into three main components: packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, and cryoprecipitate (the liquid element of plasma).
“One blood donation can save as many as three lives,” Wells went on to say. persons should be aware that the vast majority of persons who undergo blood transfusions receive numerous products. It is not always a one-and-done situation.
When it comes to someone who requires a blood transfusion, the average across the country is six to eight products. It can be up to 100 units of blood in a traumatic event, according to Wells.
What blood types are desperately needed?
While RWJ University Hospital need all blood types, there is a critical need to increase its Type O inventory, particularly Type O-negative, according to Wells.
Type O blood is the most often transfused blood type because the population requires more kind O than any other kind, according to Wells.
The universal blood donor is type O-negative. When a patient’s blood type is unknown in an emergency, Type O-negative might be administered. That is why it is always in short supply.
Are there any requirements for blood donors?
In New Jersey, donors must be between the ages of 16 and 70. To give blood, sixteen-year-olds must have documented parental approval. The donor must be at least 110 pounds and in otherwise good health.
RWJBarnabas Health is hosting several blood drives:
Monmouth Medical Center
Friday, Dec. 15 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Unterberg Learning Center
300 2nd Avenue, Long Branch
South Plainfield Community
Saturday, Dec. 16 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
JFK Elementary School Multi-Purpose Room
2900 Norwood Avenue, South Plainfield