BLOOD CRISIS CRITICAL; FLU STOPS USUAL DONORS BLOOD BANKS VICTIMS OF FLU.Byline: Robert Monroe Staff Writer This year's heavy flu season
Donations typically fall off during the holidays, but many regular donors have been sick and unable to give blood, which has left the American Red Cross American Red Cross: see Red Cross. Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. chapter 500 units short of type O blood, the universal donor u·ni·ver·sal donor n. A person whose red blood cells do not contain agglutinogen A or B and are therefore not agglutinated by plasma containing either of the ordinary isoagglutinins, alpha or beta; a person who has group O blood. type. ``This is the most severe shortage that has lasted the longest that we can remember in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, in many years,'' said Dr. Peter Page, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Blood Services Southern California Region. Page and other blood bank administrators said the flu has bumped up the number of people who cancel appointments at donation centers and forced nurses to send some patients home. ``You end up with people coming in to donate, and you see they're sick,'' said Dr. Michael Kanter, director of the Kaiser Permanente Blood Donor Center in Woodland Hills. ``Right now it's short because people donate less over the New Year's (holiday), and also the flu makes many people who would donate ineligible.'' At Northridge Hospital Medical Center Northridge Hospital Medical Center is a hospital in the Northridge town of Los Angeles, California, USA. It is currently operated by Catholic Healthcare West. History The hospital was founded in 1955 by Dr. , blood bank supervisor Susan Pollack said employees have increased their voluntary blood donations, but this is not enough to compensate for a shortfall from suppliers. Emergency surgeries could drain supplies entirely, she said. ``There's cause for concern in the event of multiple traumas,'' Pollack said. At one point two weeks ago, the Red Cross donation center in Los Angeles, which serves Los Angeles and Orange counties, was out of Type O blood. ``Most hospitals, if not all, are putting off elective surgeries and any other type of procedure that is not urgent,''said Jim Lott, executive vice president of the Healthcare Association of Southern California. Page said volunteers feeling in good health and not showing symptoms of flu can donate. There is no risk of transmitting flu to those who get the blood, he said, but blood banks will turn flu sufferers away for the sake of their own health. At Kaiser, officials called an emergency blood drive last week that has brought in about 25 donors a day, five to 10 more than the center normally gets. Dianne Prince, a Reseda resident who works in Kaiser's insurance department, said she got woozy a previous time she gave blood. But the thought that her granddaughter might need blood during the shortage helped her overcome her apprehension. ``I'm usually scared to death,'' Prince said. ``I thought it was a really good cause.'' Marianne Seminario said she came to the blood center because a friend of hers at Kaiser needs a blood transfusion blood transfusion, transfer of blood from one person to another, or from one animal to another of the same species. Transfusions are performed to replace a substantial loss of blood and as supportive treatment in certain diseases and blood disorders. . ``She's been waiting She's Been Waiting is Kristy Hanson's 2003 second release. Track listing All tracks are composed by Kristy Hanson
Red Cross officials attribute a steadily increasing need for blood to advances in blood-intensive surgical procedures. For example, organ transplants have become more common in recent years, but each procedure can require up to 100 pints of blood. Pollack said donations at Southern California Hospital Recruitment Alliance blood banks will earn givers free ice cream in a pint-for-a-pint promotion offered by Baskin-Robbins. Northridge and Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center is a hospital in Burbank, California, USA. The hospital has 455 beds, and is part of Providence Health & Services. It's adress is: 501 S. Buena Vista St., Burbank, CA 91505. are members of the alliance of 11 hospital-based blood banks. HOW TO HELP To find a donation center and make appointments, call the American Red Cross at (800) GIVE-LIFE. Blood donors must be 17 or older, weigh at least 110 pounds and not be at risk for an HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. infection or AIDS. CAPTION(S): photo, Box Photo: Nurse Debby Driscoll and blood donor Jess Barker share a laugh in a Woodland Hills hospital. Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer Box: HOW TO HELP (see text) |
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