BLOOD BANKS IN THE RED RED CROSS DONATIONS DIP IN WAKE OF CRITICISM.

Byline: Mariel Garza Staff Writer

In the days after the East Coast terrorist attacks, Angelenos by the thousands lined up to donate blood. First-timers and regular donors waited hours to help the only way they could.

But Red Cross officials said Tuesday that the initial burst of patriotism has waned in the face of a traditional holiday slowdown and national criticism of the organization's finances and blood collecting methods.

And now blood supplies are critically low again and the Red Cross is back to pleading once again for donors.

``It's definitely dropped back down to normal,'' said Julie Juliusson, spokeswoman for the Los Angeles chapter of the American Red Cross.

``We're facing really critical periods for blood supplies. The holidays historically are hard times for blood banking. People are busy with other things. Needless to say, giving blood is last thing on their minds.''

Before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Los Angeles imported 4,000 pints of blood each week from other regions to keep pace with local demand.

The agency has since returned to that practice but hasn't taken the drastic step of recommending that hospitals cancel elective surgeries.

Currently, Southern California has a three-day supply of most blood types except for the most commonly used O-negative and A-negative. Less than a day's supply exists for both those blood types.

``We need approximately 1,200 units a day,'' Juliusson said. ``Sometimes we get that much, but most times we're down. We're working real hard to make our goals to make sure patients have the blood they need.'' Added to the holiday crunch is a wave of bad publicity for the national association.

Last week, the federal Food and Drug Administration criticized the agency's blood collection methods, contending that the Red Cross violated blood safety rules.

The Red Cross also came under fire in October when it announced it would use a portion of the Liberty Fund - money raised for the attack victims and their families - for other uses. The organization has since apologized and reversed that decision.

The association also received widespread criticism when it disclosed that it had discarded as many as 250,000 pints of blood donated after Sept. 11. The Red Cross had continued to ask for donations even though supplies exceeded demand. Red blood cells expire after 42 days.

Local blood bank organizers said they didn't encounter that problem. Because air travel was suspended in response to the attacks, Los Angeles was unable to receive the imported blood it relies on. Instead, the rise in local donations after Sept. 11 helped meet regional demand.

The local Red Cross did discard some donated blood in the days after the terrorist attacks but it was no more than usual, Juliusson said.

Whatever the reason for the drop in Red Cross blood donations, other collection agencies haven't seen a decline.

Donations are up for Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center, Providence Holy Cross Medical Center and Sherman Oaks Hospital and Health Center, said Tim Smith, blood donation recruitment coordinator for the three hospitals.

As a result of the negative publicity surrounding the Red Cross, he is working to let donors know that they can also give blood at hospitals.

So are other medical centers.

``We always operate on the notion that there is a shortage,'' said Kate Preston, spokeswoman for Northridge Hospital Medical Center, which hasn't noticed a significant drop in blood donations. ``You can never foresee having enough.''

Neither can the American Legion Post in Woodland Hills, which has been hosting regular Red Cross blood drives for the past eight years. This week, it saw a lighter-than-usual crowd, said charge nurse Renee Colin, who attributed the drop to the holiday season.

John Sohl of Canoga Park was one of the few who opted to give blood rather than shop Monday. He began donating blood six months ago, and Monday marked his third donation. The second was just after Sept. 11.

``It's a real painless way to give something,'' Sohl said. ``I don't have any money, so I give blood.''

Red Cross officials hope first-timers who responded to the call for blood in September will continue to turn out in droves. But they said it's too soon to say whether that will happen. Donors must wait two months before they can donate again, and the Red Cross has just started calling those who donated in September and October.

A few have come back on their own, Reyes and Colin said. One first-time donor who gave blood Sept. 11 returned Nov. 11, Colin said.

``He said he was coming back every two months,'' she said.

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Photo:

Peter Dean, an inventory coordinator for the Red Cross, sorts out bags of donated blood.

David Sprague/Staff Photographer