Group O, the universal blood type, is in short supply in Western Washington, the Puget Sound Blood Center said while urging donors to give now in air-conditioned bloodmobiles.
Many blood drives scheduled in buildings without air conditioning, such as churches and community centers, have been canceled because of unusually high temperatures, the center said in a prepared statement, and so some 500 expected blood donations were lost.
Down to 2 days
The supply of Group O is down to two days, considered a critical level. This blood type can be given to any patient. It is useful in trauma cases when medical personnel lack the time to type the patient’s blood.
A blood type is considered at a critical inventory level when it reaches a two-day supply as opposed to a four-day operational inventory.
Mobile drives, held in air-conditioned bloodmobiles, are scheduled in Port Townsend and Sequim this week.
Scheduled drives are:
• Friday — Jefferson Healthcare auditorium, 834 Sheridan St., Port Town-send, 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. to 3 p.m.
• Saturday — Sequim High School, 523 N. Sequim Ave., 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.. This drive is in conjunction with the Relay for Life event.
“Last week we saw temperatures in the 80s, and it took a toll on the number of community blood drives we were able to hold,” said Dr. James P. AuBuchon, president and CEO of the Puget Sound Blood Center.
“With this week’s forecast showing 90s all week long, we are looking at the potential for even more cancellations, which translates into less blood available for our community.”
Every day, it takes approximately 900 donors to maintain an operational blood supply for Western Washington, the blood center said.
Puget Sound Blood Center is an independent, community-based nonprofit that serves 14 counties.
Blood drives can be found online at www.psbc.org.
