Bloodworks Northwest (formerly known as Puget Sound Blood Center) issued an urgent appeal for donors after Pacific Northwest inventories of type O blood dipped alarmingly low.
This situation parallels shortages seen nationwide (PDF). According to Bloodworks Northwest,
The inventories of type O blood are below emergency levels – meaning a less than one day supply. Normal operating inventory is a four day supply. For the safety and care of patients, Bloodworks Northwest has issued a “code-red” urging blood donations over the next two weeks.
Type O negative blood is considered the universal blood type and can be transfused to any patient suffering from trauma when they are rushed to a hospital with no time to type that person’s blood and 48% of the population has Type O blood.
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Click for more informationBloodworks Northwest said they expect donations to drop off by about 15 percent during the summer. But this year, the decline has been closer to 25 percent.
Donating blood takes less an hour and because blood can be broken down into its three components, each donation, about a pint, can potentially save three lives.
Donors can go to any one of 12 donor centers or check online for community blood drives happening close to where they live or work. Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Appointments can be made online at BloodworksNW.org/Schedule or by phone at 1-800-398-7888.