There is a television ad here in Canada encouraging people to donate blood. There’s this gal that says that at some point in the future she’ll have cancer and get chemo and such. Then she says, “If there’s not enough blood, cancer won’t be my only worry.”
Can we (meaning Canada or US, as I suspect the blood reserve system is close enough to draw common conclusions) ever run out of blood? I know we can, but are reserve levels ever so low that running out is actually a concern (assuming no ultra-large-scale disaster)?
I don’t think the bigger problem is that we’ll run out of donors, but that many people only think to donate after there’s a disaster, and blood doesn’t keep forever. From http://www.naplesnews.com/00/09/bonita/d494081a.htm
I’m sure it’s possible that the amount stored at any given moment is in jeopardy, especially given a crisis the size of the Twin Towers, like you said. Also, given the increase of diseases like AIDS, diabetes, and iron deficiencies, we might actually be selecting out willing donors because their blood can’t be taken.
There is always (and should be for a long time to come) enough of blood to source from… the problem is not too many people actually donate blood.
There is a perpetual shortage of blood at blood banks across the country here. Added to that is complications from contaminated blood, short shelf life, different blood groups, etc.
So, while there is always blood to source from, not always is there enough timely supply.
It does get to the point sometimes where they don’t have enough blood. I’m transfusion-dependant (I don’t make blood), and a couple years ago there wasn’t enough blood of my type to give me a transfusion, so I had to wait a week until they had enough.
Moral of the story: please donate! The blood collection agency in your country and the recipients will thank you!
Actually, referring to that article, theraputic phlebotomoy is still the therapy of choice for men with hemochromatosis, a disorder caused by iron buildup in tissues. However, I’m skeptical that it provides any health benefit to people without this disorder. The majority of people with the mutation that leads to hereditary hemochromatosis never develop the disease, apparently because even with the mutation, they don’t build up enough iron to do any damage. Therefore, it seems unlikely that people without the mutation will see any real benefit.
But give blood anyway! There are plenty of other very good reasons!
My older brother tried to donate blood once, but got refused when he said he had asthma. How come? He’s got O blood, which is the premium stuff, so you’d think they’d take it.
Where did he try to donate, Sinungaling? The Red Cross does ask if the donor has asthma or another lung disorder during the pre-donation screening, but going by their eligibility information on the website:
I hunted around on redcross.ca, but couldn’t find anything related. Of course, this is assuming that your brother went through the RC.
I work for their Head Office. I can say that, yes, it is possible to run out of reserves, and the consequences can be deadly for some.
If you can give, please do so. If you are deferred from donating for any reason, please do not take it as a personal affront, and understand that the people who are working there are doing their jobs, both for your protection, as well as the protection of the public.
Giving blood saves lives. Not having enough of it at the right time can cost lives. That simple.
Here in New York we’re apparently experiencing a blood shortage. Elective surgeries are postponed, patients are routed to other hospitals, satanic masses are cancelled, vampires are getting all wrinkly, etc.
It was in Kingston, Ontario, and it was before the whole furor over tainted blood here in Canada, so it was probably through the Red Cross. And he definitely wasn’t having an asthma attack at the time. I always sort of wondered about it. Maybe it was a volunteer drawing blood, and he or she was misinformed or something.