The nation's blood supply . . . In critical condition

BOB ANDRES / COX NEWS SERVICE Stan Schnitzer of Sandy Springs, Ga., donates platelets last summer. At left is collection technician John Patterson. The American Red Cross Metro Atlanta chapter reports critical levels of blood for the summer. A minor change in medication caused major consequences for Don McLaughlin.

Last July, McLaughlin, a Dunwoody, Ga., minister, switched acid reflux medications. By September, his blood pressure had dropped to a dangerously low 60/34; he blacked out and landed in the emergency room. Six units of blood, one surgical procedure and a weeklong hospital stay remedied the bleeding ulcer that threatened to shorten the 47-year-old clergyman's life.

"It was just one of those mind-blowing experiences where I had no idea how serious it was," said McLaughlin, minister of North Atlanta Church of Christ in Dunwoody.

His normal energy level returned about two months after the transfusions and hospitalization, and he now feels "excellent," he said.

Every two seconds, because of accidents, heart surgery, organ transplants or illness, someone in America needs a blood transfusion. So, ensuring the state's blood supply is a matter of life and death for the American Red Cross.

The summer months — with students out of school and families vacationing — are particularly difficult for the Red Cross. A poor economy and fewer people giving the gift of life have severely siphoned the state's blood supply.

Since summer began, an average of 925 units (or pints) of blood have been collected daily by the Red Cross' Southern Region, well shy of the 1,200 units needed on average each day to supply more than 130 hospitals and health-care facilities. Levels of O-positive blood, the most in demand, have remained near or below a half-day's supply for most of the summer. Blood collections dwindled to only 700 units in August and hit a critical low on Aug. 12, with less than a three-hour supply of O-positive on hand.

"Hospitals are telling us it's been the worst they've ever seen," said Krista Hillyer, chief medical director of the southeast division of the Red Cross. Without enough blood, elective surgeries are canceled, doctors must choose which patients to give blood, and patients with chronic diseases may have to forgo routine transfusions.

The Red Cross is also keeping a watchful eye on hurricane season as people seldom donate during inclement weather, and the heavy rain and strong winds may cause the cancellation of scheduled blood drives.

If injuries occur during the storm, the Red Cross "will do everything we can to ensure that hospitals receive the products they need," said Tracye Bryant, director of communications.

To offset the shortage, the Red Cross Southern Region now imports about 1,125 units each week. Such dependence leaves states at the mercy of other regions to meet their needs, Hillyer said. "That is frightening," she said.

Trauma and accident victims can require up to 100 units, and a liver transplant can use 40 or more. Blood needs for scheduled procedures such as cancer treatments or surgeries can be anticipated, but transplant and trauma cases can occur at any moment and require an unknown number of units.

While it's not allowed to pay for donations, the Red Cross has increased incentives to attract donors, such as drawings for gas cards, raffles and T-shirts. It also partners with businesses, student organizations and churches to host blood drives and spread the word.

"There's no one solution," Hillyer said. "What we're relying on is people's goodwill and their sense of wanting to help their fellow man, realizing that they never know when it may be them who needs blood."