Blood Donation Drought Concerns Connecticut

Aug. 26--Every summer, the American Red Cross sends out distress calls for blood donors.

It seems to be a perpetually recurring crisis, and for hospitals and trauma centers the donor drought can be downright scary.

Connecticut already imports 10 percent of the blood used for transfusions from out of state. While the American Red Cross anticipates collecting 155,000 units of blood annually in Connecticut, it delivers 168,000 units of blood to in-state hospitals and medical centers.

"We are a disaster away from another disaster," said Dr. Paul Snyder, president of the Yale-New Haven Hospital Blood Bank. Blood is a perishable commodity, which means the supply must be renewed constantly. Blood in Connecticut seldom sits around long enough for its shelf life to expire. The American Red Cross collects and ships blood every day except Christmas and Thanksgiving in Connecticut with the help of 380 employees and 250 volunteers.

Usually there is just enough supply to meet demand, and the rarity of some blood types makes that even more difficult.

A complex set of reasons leads to periodic needs to put out an urgent call for donors.

Only 65 percent of the population qualifies to give blood, for instance, and of that number, less than 3 percent contribute on a regular basis, said Adrienne Henning, manager of the blood processing center in Farmington.

Henning said donors usually start giving blood because a family member has a medical crisis and they suddenly became aware of the immediate needs presented by transfusions.

Further, red blood cells last 21 days, but with special treatment, can last up to 42 days. Plasma and platelets, two other components, last five days.

That means that no matter how much the Red Cross collects in a drive, they will still need a fresh supply within days.

"Every day in Connecticut, we run eight to 15 blood drives. In August, we have shortages because a lot of people are on vacation. Many major corporations have closed, we used to have week-long blood drives at those companies with thousands of employees in one place," said Paul Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer of American Red Cross, Connecticut Blood Services Region.

Blood also is a pricey commodity. The Red Cross charges $240 for a unit of red blood cells, typically 200 milliliters. The charge covers the agency's extensive logistics, lab work and testing, transportation, collection and recruiting efforts.

Nonetheless, federal law prohibits donors from selling blood because it could be an incentive for donors to not report medical conditions that would disqualify them.

Snyder said he recalls an August in recent years when the hospital's backup blood supply dwindled from the usual 400 units to fewer than 40. Patients with elective surgery were rescheduled. Those who needed blood were given only as much as needed.

"Seventy units of blood is needed at Yale just to keep the place open and running," Snyder said.

At the American Red Cross blood processing center in Farmington, the agency processes blood with filters and centrifuges to develop the blood products hospitals buy. It's a complex process, and not for the faint of heart.

In one room of the American Red Cross, donors lie outstretched on cots, plastic bags collecting blood that drips from their veins. In a back room, the agency stores thousands of units of blood in refrigerators that look like floral display cases. In between is a lab in which white blood cells are filtered out, and where the blood gets whirled in a centrifuge that separates it into its basic components. The lab uses the components to make specialty blood products needed by hospitals.

Every bag is neatly labeled with its type, and has a sticker with a bar code, it's only connection to the donor. A sample from every donated unit of blood is tested in Philadelphia to ensure its safety, and the sticker matches the donor with the sample and the blood bag.