LifeSouth officials say the shortage is so severe that some hospitals they serve are considering canceling elective surgeries to ensure that blood is available for patients whose transfusion requirements are immediate.
"We are very concerned about the supply of type O blood available in our community right now. This blood type is necessary to treat emergency and surgical patients. We are urging all eligible blood donors to contact LifeSouth to find out where you can donate blood as soon as possible," Dr. Kim Tackitt, medical director for the blood bank at Saint Joseph's Hospital, one of 19 hospitals supplied by LifeSouth in Georgia.
LifeSouth, on average, supplies 600 units of blood to area hospitals each week and the blood center usually is able to collect enough blood to meet hospital needs. However collections have fallen short of demand for the past several weeks and LifeSouth's backup supply has been depleted. "We need donors of all blood types to make an extra effort to donate during the next few days. If we can collect 800 units of blood we can restock the hospitals and have an adequate backup supply on our shelves as well," said Janice Latoza, district director for Georgia.
Blood donors must be at least 17 years old, weigh, 110 pounds or more, and show a photo I.D. Donors can call LifeSouth in Atlanta at (404) 329-1994 and in the northeast Georgia area at (770) 538-0500 to make an appointment or to find out more about blood drives in the area. If established times are not convenient, LifeSouth will be happy to schedule a special appointment time outside the normal operating hours.
LifeSouth supplies blood components for patients at Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Lanier Park Campus of Northeast Georgia Medical Center, Habersham Medical Center, Atlanta Medical Center, Northside Hospital, Northlake Regional Medical Center. St. Joseph's Hospital, Emory Adventist Hospital of Smyrna, Cramford Long Hospital, Children's Health Care of Atlanta, Piedmont Medical Center and. other metro Atlanta medical facilities. LifeSouth is a nonprofit, volunteer blood center supplying more than 110 medical centers in Georgia, Alabama and Florida.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2005/6/132905