There's typically a shortage of both blood and platelets during the holiday season. But, tighter testing for a rare complication of transfusions makes the need for platelets even more urgent, experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas say.
Platelets are a component of blood that are essential for clotting.
The complication, called transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), is the leading cause of death due to transfusions, the experts said.
"One reason the supply of blood platelets has decreased is that we now have additional required testing of platelets after donation," said Dr. Thomas Froehlich, medical director at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Blood and platelet shortages are traditionally common during the holidays. The shortages put cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, trauma victims and people with health issues that require routine transfusions at risk.
If you would like to donate blood, contact a blood center in your area for information.
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7 comments:
Obamacare has made blood banks obsolete. Think about it. Why donate blood every year or two when Obamacare mandates that you get blood anyway, blood bank member or not. Blood banks were a good idea until government got involved in health care.
more people would donate if you didn't have to jump through so many hoops to do so. 75 questions every time. have you ever been to africa? have you ever had sex for money or drugs? have you ever had sex homosexual sex even once since '77? Give me a break. it's just a hastle.
I gave for 35 years and then they changed requirements and told me I was ineligible giving me a bogus reason. Being a "Life Saver" donor I questioned it and did no good. My wife has quick going in there every 2 /3 months or what ever this program is. So it is no reason they are short all the time when they eliminate people for basically no reason. From my point of view why are they crying when it is their own doings.
I think ANYONE on government assistance should be mandated to give blood.
Joe don't think they would be able to cause majority is on drugs / alcoholic etc..
5:26, WHY do you think that only blacks are on assistance???
No where locally to donate platelets, just blood.
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