# Blood Donation: Do They Run Out **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 9, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427 "2013-09-09T18:38:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/1 "2013-09-09T18:38:05Z")
In the various propaganda (\*) the Red Cross gives you to try to get you to donate, they claim [QUOTE=Red Cross] One donation can help save the lives of up to three people. [/QUOTE] > **[US Blood Supply Facts](https://www.redcrossblood.org/donate-blood/how-to-donate/how-blood-donations-help/blood-needs-blood-supply.html)** > > Blood donations are essential to the blood supply available for patients in need. Get the facts and see how you can help. But that seems to be based on a very, very tortured meaning of saving a life. But at the same time, the Red Cross refuses blood from a large population of pretty safe individuals: monogamous gay men, vegetarians who’ve lived in the UK for more than six months, etc. My question is: in the modern US (say, last 20 years or so), has anyone actually died due to a lack of availability of donated blood? Bonus follow-up question: has anyone actually died from a lack of availability of donated blood during non-disaster times? Thanks in advance! (\*) Don’t interpret the word ‘propaganda’ to mean that I think one shouldn’t donate. I’m not trying to poison the well. But I’m very suspicious of this particular claim, hence the use of that word. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/2 "2013-09-09T18:46:41Z")
I asked once, so my cite is what a person at LifeSource told me several years ago. They have reached the point, at times, where non-emergency surgeries were delayed. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/3 "2013-09-09T19:08:57Z")
Regular blood donor here. I highly doubt that they’ve ever run out. I know that a lot of blood is used for things like research. In times of disasters, tons of people run out to donate often to the point of the donor facilities turning people away. That said, it does save lives. They did a promotion one time where there was this guy who was in a horrible accident and they needed like eleven pints of blood for him. There was a picture of him a year of so later with the eleven donors whose blood he used. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/4 "2013-09-09T19:48:37Z")
It can also drive the cost of blood up, because when an area gets low they start looking over areas farther and farther away that might have a surplus. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/5 "2013-09-09T20:36:36Z")
They often do have regional shortages which can result in delay of non-emergency surgery. And it’s possible to run out of very specific bloods. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/6 "2013-09-09T20:44:15Z")
Another bit. At least locally, they want to have plenty of O- around, for emergencies. It’s the blood that they can start pumping into accident victims before the lab work identifying their blood type comes back. So the need for O- is more changable than for the other types. ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/7 "2013-09-09T23:54:04Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > I know that a lot of blood is used for things like research. Researcher here. We use blood products that are timed out for transfusion, but still usable for research. Our research doesn’t actually divert supplies for medical needs. If I happen to need fresher blood or blood products, I have grad students who are always willing to give 50-100cc of blood. I also happen to have a colleague with hemachromatosis, so he is always willing to stop by and give blood. He is British, so he’s not eligible in the US for donation, so I am always happy to get his blood. ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/8 "2013-09-10T00:58:36Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > That said, it does save lives. They did a promotion one time where there was this guy who was in a horrible accident and they needed like eleven pints of blood for him. There was a picture of him a year of so later with the eleven donors whose blood he used. Don’t get me wrong - I fully believe that having blood available saves lives. But the way it’s stated - that each pint can save three lives - seems to suggest that each incremental donation may save lives. I doubt I’m the only one who interprets the Red Cross’s statement as making that claim. It seems (from this thread) that this is not true. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/9 "2013-09-10T10:59:28Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Don’t get me wrong - I fully believe that having blood available saves lives. But the way it’s stated - that each pint can save three lives - seems to suggest that each incremental donation may save lives. I doubt I’m the only one who interprets the Red Cross’s statement as making that claim. It seems (from this thread) that this is not true. With the weasel words “can” and “may” how could it not be true? If three people would have died but for a blood transfusion and your blood products just happened to be “on deck” for them, would they not have saved the lives? ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 11:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/10 "2013-09-10T11:05:55Z")
I was surprised to see that a visit to the UK rendered you unfit to donate - maybe it was a joke? > [@](#): > > You may not donate \*\*if you received a blood transfusion \*\*since 1980 in the United Kingdom or France (The United Kingdom consists of the following countries: England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Gibraltar or Falkland Islands). This requirement is related to concerns about variant CJD, or ‘mad cow’ disease. CJD is a non story over here. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/11 "2013-09-10T11:33:27Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > I was surprised to see that a visit to the UK rendered you unfit to donate - maybe it was a joke? > CJD is a non story over here. You can’t donate blood in Australia if you lived in the UK for six months or more between 1980 and 1996, and vCJD is the reason. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/12 "2013-09-10T13:04:37Z")
> [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](#): > > Don’t get me wrong - I fully believe that having blood available saves lives. But the way it’s stated - that each pint can save three lives - seems to suggest that each incremental donation may save lives. I doubt I’m the only one who interprets the Red Cross’s statement as making that claim. It seems (from this thread) that this is not true. I’m not sure I understand your understanding of the ‘three lives’ “propaganda”. My understanding of it is that each donated unit of whole blood is divided into three major components - red cells, plasma and platelets - which would be given to three different people to meet three different immediate needs. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/13 "2013-09-10T17:31:31Z")
No, it’s unlikely that a single unit of donated blood will be split into three things. Whole blood for transfusions is kept whole, but processed slightly to stabilize it. Platelets are usually harvested separately. Donors are hooked to a machine that removes blood, centrifuges it, and returns the plasma to the donor. You have to have nice big veins for that, and you can donate more often than every eight weeks. Plasma can be centrifuged from whole blood. What’s left is all the cells, which includes platelets and things like the clotting factor that hemophiliacs need. What’s left can be processed for platelets or sold to make other blood derived products. So theoretically, your unit of blood could be divided three ways, but it’s more likely that it will either be kept whole or divided into plasma and platelets (or other things). If they tried to do both, they’d end up with a half-unit of whole blood and a half-unit of plasma, which isn’t useful. What hospitals order from a blood bank are: plasma, whole blood, and platelets. Plasma can be frozen, so it has the longest shelf life. Platelets have the shortest shelf life. Their delivery slips are time stamped when they’re removed from the refrigerator and the drivers delivering them have to get a time stamp when they’re delivered. Whole blood is in between. I used to be a volunteer driver for a blood bank. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/14 "2013-09-10T18:26:53Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > I was surprised to see that a visit to the UK rendered you unfit to donate - maybe it was a joke? From the [American Red Cross](http://www.redcrossblood.org/donating-blood/eligibility-requirements/eligibility-criteria-alphabetical-listing#arc5): > [@](#): > > You are not eligible to donate if: > > From January 1, 1980, through December 31, 1996, you **spent (visited or lived)** a cumulative time of 3 months or more, in the United Kingdom (UK), **or** > From January 1, 1980, to present, you had a blood transfusion in any country(ies) in the (UK) or France. (emphasis mine) ---
**Author:** ![dstarfire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dstarfire/32/5762_2.png) [@dstarfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dstarfire)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/15 "2013-09-10T20:05:33Z")
With the “up to” qualifier that statement would be true if (‘people saved by donated blood’ = ‘units of blood donated’ x 3) has ever been true. It probably doesn’t happen on a regular basis, and I\* doubt a single unit of blood has ever saved three lives. - My medical knowledge is limited to what I remember from grade school and what I’ve picked up from various media outlets (e.g. Popular Science, Lifehacker, Ars Technica, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/16 "2013-09-10T20:17:07Z")
> [@Minnie\_Luna](#): > > Researcher here. We use blood products that are timed out for transfusion, but still usable for research. Our research doesn’t actually divert supplies for medical needs. If I happen to need fresher blood or blood products, I have grad students who are always willing to give 50-100cc of blood. I also happen to have a colleague with hemachromatosis, so he is always willing to stop by and give blood. He is British, so he’s not eligible in the US for donation, so I am always happy to get his blood. I am totally fine if my blood is used for research by the way. I have donated many dozens of time in my life so it might be that some of my blood has happened to save a life or two. No way of knowing though. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/17 "2013-09-10T20:18:24Z")
[Radiolab did a recent podcast about blood banking.](http://www.radiolab.org/2013/jul/31/blood-banks/) It was interesting. Let’s just say “it’s complicated”. Anyone else hear it? ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/18 "2013-09-10T20:27:52Z")
> [@Oly](#): > > I’m not sure I understand your understanding of the ‘three lives’ “propaganda”. My understanding of it is that each donated unit of whole blood is divided into three major components - red cells, plasma and platelets - which would be given to three different people to meet three different immediate needs. My objection is that after dividing by blood type, blood is fungible, and all of the pools are consistently big enough to meet life-saving needs. Say you have B+ blood, and you donate a pint. Over the usable lifetime of that pint, 10 lives are saved out of the B+ pool. Your pint happened to go to life-saving surgery for a guy. Had you not donated though, 10 lives would have been saved out of the B+ pool, and someone else’s blood would have gone to that guy. Have you saved any lives? I’ll check out the Radiolab podcast. Thanks for the link! ---
**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/19 "2013-09-10T21:03:52Z")
Where I used to donate blood, my donation got an extra sticker on it that said “Preemie Donor”. I was told this was because I tested clear for a particular virus that is commonly present and pretty harmless in adults, but bad for pre-mature infants. They could also split the one donation into three because preemies can’t take full units. In at least this special case, it’s true that “One donation can help save the lives of up to three [very small] people.” ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427/20 "2013-09-10T21:52:39Z")
That was probably CMV (cytomegalovirus) that you were negative for. I used to be on my workplace’s (a hospital) on-call list for emergency surgical donations, except that they kept having awful timing as I would get called in right around my period. I’d fail the hematocrit test and they’d send me back to my office, and eventually they stopped calling. ☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blood-donation-do-they-run-out/668427.md?page=2)