- Some blood banks, like Vitalant, are facing a blood shortage and in need of more blood donors.
Vitalant's Donor Recruitment Manager, Christina Duhon, said they're in need of more blood donors, especially O-types. Ochsner Lafayette General is home to the only level 2 trauma center in Southwest Louisiana. Trauma Medical Director, Dr. Willard Mosier, said they had a month there where the hospital was out of platelets and fresh frozen plasma for a little while.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Did you know that there is a national blood shortage that's happening across the nation and affecting us right here in Lafayette Parish? Vitalant Manager, Christina Duhon said, "We're seeing the same type of shortage especially in the O-type because that's the universal blood type and the type that is used in trauma." Speaking of trauma, Ochsner Lafayette General is home to the only Level 2 trauma center in Southwest Louisiana.
Trauma Medical Director, Dr. Willard Mosier said about 25-30% of the hospital's patients are in need of blood per day, "You have to look at the entire population. The trauma population is just one population that needs blood. You have our dialysis patients; you have cardiac patients. You have cancer patients, Gi bleeds, just run of the mill surgical patients that need blood so we're just one small fraction of the entire hospital."
Merisa Fruge was diagnosed with hemolytic anemia about 20 years ago and blood transfusions became a part of life for her, "My body actually attacks its own red blood cells so that requires me to have several blood transfusions a year. I would say on average every year or two." But when she was pregnant with her son, blood infusions increased to almost monthly. There was also great need after delivery. "That was one of the major concerns that they had for me at the hospital because I did need blood transfusions while I was at the hospital, and they had to tap into a national database, and I heard it wasn't very easy to get a match," said Fruge.
There's always a need for blood. Dr. Mosier says they can use 25 units in just one trauma. Most wanted are universal blood types like blood O-positive and negative. Dr. Mosier said they also need rare blood types like his, "I typically try to donate as much as I can, but we've definitely felt platelets. We had a month there where we were out of platelets what we call FFP plasma we were out of that for a little while. We are definitely feeling the effects. When people don't donate, we don't have blood to give."
