Local Blood Groups Work Together to Address Blood Shortage

IN A PERFECT WORLD . . .

... there would be no blood shortage.

Every patient requiring a transfusion could count on donated blood being available. Shelves at blood banks would be fully stocked, and donors would return again and again to give the gift of life. But it’s not a perfect world, and today, Houston and the surrounding area face one of the worst blood shortages in history.

To address this crisis, the five blood-collecting organizations in the Greater Houston area have come together with the Harris County Medical Society. The five groups are the Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center, The Methodist Hospital, St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

This effort was initiated after Tropical Storm Allison strained the blood supply and surgeries during 2001 were postponed due to shortages. Since last November, the medical society has been meeting regularly with the five blood-collecting groups and has been collecting and reporting aggregate data regarding blood usage, inventory and projected collections.

“During six of the past 12 months, the groups have had to import blood from other parts of the country in order to meet our region’s need,” said William H. Fleming III, M.D., 2002 medical society president.

“This past year, the national blood-banking organizations and the Centers for Disease Control have recommended that blood banks in high-risk areas for West Nile virus withdraw blood components that were possibly contaminated,” Fleming continued.

The blood groups found several reasons for the consistently low supply of blood.

First, new Food and Drug Administration regulations have eliminated an estimated 5 to 6 percent of the regular donor base. As of April 1 last year, the FDA expanded the donor deferrals that have been in place since September 1999, to reduce the theoretical risk of transmission of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease – the human form of “Mad Cow” disease. In addition to local deferrals, the variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease regulations have made it difficult to import blood from other areas of the country and from overseas. To keep the blood supply safe, the FDA currently requires 11 tests and a survey consisting of more than 50 questions.

Second, flu and illness regularly contribute to deferrals.

Third, new medical treatments have increased blood usage by about 5 percent per year. These treatments include new cardiac surgeries, increased numbers of whole-organ transplants and new cancer treatments.

Finally, corporate downsizing has led to fewer donations at corporate blood drives.

“Now that we have data to support what we already suspected, we have begun collaboration on a marketing strategy to encourage new and frequent blood donations,” Fleming said. “We must ensure that there is always an adequate blood supply on the shelves. Otherwise, a terrorist attack or natural disaster – even a major traffic accident – will find doctors with life-saving equipment and personnel, but no life-sustaining blood.”

More than 800 individual donations are needed daily for patients in the Texas Gulf Coast Region. The need arises from trauma accidents, surgeries, cancer treatments, whole organ transplants, burn treatments, and other medical treatments, requiring the administration of blood and blood components. The demand for treatments calling for transfusion therapy has never been greater and it continues to grow. Last year, patients in the Texas Gulf Coast region used more than 685,000 units of blood and blood components.

“Every donor makes a difference,” Fleming said. “One single donation can save at least three lives. The shelf life for red blood cells is six weeks, while platelets can only last five days; therefore, blood donations must be continuous.”

Giving blood usually requires a little more than 45 minutes. To donate one must be in good general health, weigh at least 110 pounds and be at least 17 years old. Donors are eligible to give blood every eight weeks. Many blood centers offer donors the opportunity to participate in a blood assurance plan, which provides coverage against blood usage.

“Giving blood is truly the gift of life,” Fleming said. “Please give blood and give it often. We can’t operate without you.”

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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