Countywide : Red Cross Appeal Helps End Blood Supply Crisis

Thanks to heavy public response, the American Red Cross’s supply of blood has returned to 90% of normal levels, ending a critical 2 1/2-week shortage during which all but emergency surgeries were discouraged, an organization official said Wednesday.

“For all intents and purposes, yes, the crisis is over,” said Dr. Benjamin Spindler, medical director of blood services for the Red Cross in Orange County.

“The increase in donations has tended to taper off, so it may take a couple of more weeks to get back to 100% of normal,” Spindler said. “But the small difference is not affecting hospitals, and we’re able to supply all requests at the present time.”

Although only a few hospitals reportedly had to cancel surgeries because of a shortage of type O and type B blood, most hospitals saw their supplies shrink to dangerously low levels, hospital and Red Cross officials said.

The Red Cross faces chronic shortages of blood in January because donations drop dramatically during the holidays. This year, however, the crisis was greater and lasted longer because of back-to-back four-day weekends at Christmas and New Year’s that kept more donors away than usual.

The situation prompted Red Cross officials in Los Angeles and Orange counties to issue a public appeal on Jan. 7 for donors. Spindler said that during the crisis more than 800 pints of blood were collected over and above usual donations.