Bloodworks Northwest declares 'Code Red' blood shortage in Pacific Northwest
SEATTLE - Bloodworks Northwest has issued a "Code Red" emergency due to a critical blood shortage in the Pacific Northwest. The organization is urgently calling on eligible and healthy individuals to schedule immediate appointments to donate blood, particularly Type O, to support local patients in need.
They say blood supply has reached emergency levels, worsened by high patient demand, a decline in donor appointments, and the need to send blood to U.S. regions affected by severe winter storms.
Currently, less than half of the necessary donors have scheduled appointments, leaving a significant gap of 27,000 donation slots with Bloodworks.
What they're saying:
"Code Red means we’re running out of blood to concerning levels," said Curt Bailey, President & CEO of Bloodworks Northwest. "Our community needs to act quickly to stabilize the blood supply and ensure patients experiencing cancer can receive transfusions, surgeries aren’t delayed, and our trauma centers can respond to emergencies. If you’ve been putting off donating blood, now is the time to make an appointment."
The Code Red status follows four consecutive days of emergency-level blood shortages. Type O Positive, Type O Negative, and Platelets have been fluctuating between critical and emergency levels since early December, according to Bloodworks.
Dig deeper:
Severe winter weather across the U.S. has intensified the need for donors of all blood types, especially Type O and Platelets. Bloodworks Northwest has recently sent blood supplies to Texas and Tennessee in response to national requests.
The organization says same-day blood donation appointments are available at most locations, and appointments in the next three to six weeks are equally crucial. They report it takes 1,000 donors daily to meet the demand for blood.
Universal Type O blood is particularly vital for trauma and emergency situations when the patient's blood type is unknown.
Appointments can also be made by calling 800-398-7888.
For more information on eligibility, visit www.bloodworksnw.org or call 800-398-7888.
The FDA has recently updated its donor eligibility criteria, removing restrictions based on sexual orientation, which previously affected gay and bisexual men.
The Source: Information for this report comes from Bloodworks Northwest.
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