American Red Cross emergency blood shortage, inventory drops 25%

Watch the Digital Desk segment with Dr. Daniel Munn in the video player.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) — The American Red Cross declared an emergency blood shortage this week, as their national blood inventory dropped by more than 25% in July.

Director of Trauma Services at Riverside Dr. Daniel Munn was at the Digital Desk to speak about the blood shortage. Watch the livestream in the video player on this page.

How important are blood product donations?

“It has always been absolutely critical, but as technology has improved and all of the medical advances that we’ve had, there’s just nothing as helpful in terms of taking care of injured patients or lots of medical problems as having blood available and having blood products available,” Munn said.

Technology and developments in the medical field have shown how important blood products are and how helpful they are to patients. Munn said they are also using more blood products now than they had previously.

During the summer, the American Red Cross generally experiences some type of shortage. Munn said the issue is two-fold.

“It’s always a little bit of shortage in the summertime, both because of a drop off in donations, and also, we use more blood because more people get injured in the summertime,” Munn said.

Now, with a decrease of amount of blood products they have on hand and a drop-off in donations, the American Red Cross made the decision to declare an emergency blood shortage.

“In order to do that, they are basically limiting their ability to supply various hospitals and other centers that need the blood products,” Munn said, “and so, our normal orders would be shorter, smaller orders than we would normally expect and what we normally use.”

The American Red Cross said this shortage has lowered the supply of type O blood and it has to reduce type O distributions. The vital blood type is considered the universal donor.

“That’s the one we use for emergencies,” Munn said. “Those are the universal donors that we can use on any patient that comes in.”

Type O blood is critically important for traumas.

“And, when that happens, when we have an emergency or trauma or anything that’s urgent like that where we don’t have time to test the individual receiving the blood, then we need the type O blood to give to those patients,” Munn said.

Other types of blood, as well as every type of blood product donation, are needed for hospitals, centers and clinics to run as best as they can.

“If someone does have your specific blood type, then it gives us the opportunity to help those patients as well,” Munn said.

Platelet donations are also critical right now. There has been a shortage for years.

“That is primarily useful for what I do for emergencies and injured patients, but [it] is helpful in a lot of other regards as well,” Munn said. “And, we’ve been on a nationwide shortage of platelets for, really, since before the pandemic.”

According to the American Red Cross, this summer’s record-setting heat impacted blood collection this summer, affecting almost 100 blood drives in the last month across multiple states.

Hospital demand has not gone down, meaning the blood supply will continue to decrease.

Between weather-related disruptions in giving, such as heat or hurricanes in summer months, Munn said it’s important to give when you are able.

“While we’re not having storms, while we do have the opportunity to make those donation centers full, that’s when we need to get everybody out of their homes and out to give the blood that they can, when they can,” Munn said.

Another piece Munn said they keep in mind with upcoming storm seasons is preparing for more possible injuries.

“We have more injuries and we have more need to give blood products, but also the lack of donations from those areas that are affected,” Munn said. “And so, it really does make it difficult for us to access the blood products that we need and get the donations centers open and process the blood and everything. It is very similar to what we had during the pandemic.”

On the topic of limiting supply, Munn said while providers want to be good stewards of the blood products they have available, they are not limiting what they need on patients.

“We’re certainly not going to limit based on where we are right now,” Munn said, “but it is true that if we happen to have a lot of traumas, we can run out very quickly, and then we just have to search across the country to try and find the products that we need.”

This is not the first time this year the American Red Cross has faced a blood shortage. In January, the American Red Cross announced they were facing a blood shortage after it experienced its lowest level of donations in the past 20 years.

“Really they don’t send out the release until we’re at a situation where they really have to restrict what they’re providing,” Munn said. “So, if your normal order can’t be filled for all of the local hospitals, then they are letting us know to be prepared for that so that we can plan ahead. That’s where it really comes down to a critical shortage.”

For those nervous about the process, Munn said the American Red Cross knows what they are doing.

“The Red Cross is really expert in making this as easy and seamless as possible,” Munn said. “They’re very familiar with all the different types of folks who have concerns about blood donation. And, it’s really no more invasive than having your labs drawn.”

Munn said one donation event can make a difference, whether organized by a company or city. The American Red Cross also has a tool to find out where blood donation centers, drives or locations are near you.

“It all adds up,” Munn said, “and we really should have every chair full at every donation site if we could make it that way.”

Find out more about the emergency blood shortage and donations by watching the full Digital Desk segment in the video player on this page.