September 11, 2001

New York City Hospitals Anxious About Blood Supply Levels
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN


  Blood Donation Centers (September 11, 2001)



Scores of people began responding to the New York Blood Center's emergency
appeal for blood donations issued soon after the planes crashed into the
World Trade Center early this morning.

Before the crashes, the blood center had a five-day supply of blood - ``a
pretty good inventory'' for normal circumstances, said Dr. Robert L. Jones,
the center's chief executive officer and president.

``We're able to process'' the increased donations in part because the blood
center moved personnel from training programs scheduled for today to
collection sites throughout the city.

Traffic jams were a difficult initial handicap, and police escorts were
needed to deliver blood and blood products to hospitals treating the
victims.

``The city is in chaos right now,'' Dr. Jones said. ``It is the event of our
lifetime, it is a war, we are at war.''

The center is working closely with the Greater New York Hospital Association
and individual hospitals to monitor blood needs on an hourly basis.

Dr. Jones said he was in e-mail contact with three other blood collecting
organizations - America's Blood Centers, the American Red Cross and the
American Association of Blood Banks. ``They all stand ready to ramp up
collections if necessary and also to move blood to us which happens to be on
their shelves already,'' Dr. Jones said.

``We don't see that need right now, but it will take some time to sort out
what we need,'' Dr. Jones said at about 11:30 a.m.

The Red Cross center in Boston had no blood to send to New York City, Dr.
Jones said. He said the center was checking on supplies in Philadelphia.

Asked how blood could be delivered to a city that was shut down, Dr. Jones
said ``that is a good question - without air traffic, we are kind of
stuck.''

On a normal day, the New York Blood Center collects about 1,200 units of
whole blood, which is broken down into various parts. The center distributes
about 2,000 units of blood products on a normal day.


Beijos,
Fernanda <;)
Blog: www.desembucha.com/sobretudo




>From: "Dietterich, Karin" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Milk/Casein/Lactose-Free List <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: OT: Prayers for all (cross-posted)
>Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2001 13:13:59 -0700
>
>June suggests:
> >
> > May I suggest that everyone who can, go and donate a pint of blood.
> > Reserves in the U.S. were low to begin with, and these disasters have
> > just about depleted the supply.
> >
> > Call your local Red Cross to find out where you can go to
> > donate blood...
>
>The Red Cross in Portland, OR has been completely swamped.  They are
>requesting that people wait a few days to call.  The need for blood will
>continue for some time.  Whole blood can be stored for a few weeks, but
>platelets can only be stored for 5 days.  They don't want people to forget
>their desire to "do something" but today is not the day to donate blood, at
>least in Portland.
>
>
>Karin


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