Red Cross faces emergency blood shortage caused in part by extreme heat

The American Red Cross is facing an emergency blood shortage after the national supply fell by more than 25% since July 1.

The organization said Monday that extreme temperatures and oppressive heat waves impacted almost 100 blood drives last month, in almost every state where the Red Cross collects blood. The weather affected turnout at the events or forced organizers to cancel them.

Blood donations typically slow down during the summer because of travel and other seasonal activities, but the Red Cross said extreme heat exacerbated the challenge, contributing to a shortfall of more than 19,000 blood donations in July.

The result is that blood is being sent to hospitals faster than donations are being collected, according to the organization.

Donated blood is used in a range of essential and lifesaving medical treatments, including during surgeries and childbirths. The Red Cross has said donations help save the lives of women with pregnancy complications, patients with traumatic injuries and people fighting cancer and blood disorders, among others.

“Working with patients who critically need a blood transfusion, I can’t imagine blood not being available for someone I cared about and needed it, especially a new mom or an infant that was needing a transfusion,” Melissa Destross, a registered nurse in the labor and delivery unit at a hospital in Detroit, said in a statement. “I’ve seen moms in a hemorrhage situation, post-delivery, have massive blood transfusions, like blood losses over seven liters.”

The Red Cross said blood donors of all types, but especially those with type O blood, are urgently needed. Type O blood is routinely in short supply because type O positive is the most common blood type, and type O negative is the universal blood type needed for emergency transfusions.

“Type O is especially important for people injured in accidents and other trauma who receive emergency care,” Dr. Barry Siegfried, medical director of the Red Cross Michigan Region, said in a statement. “Donors of all blood types can help ensure hospital shelves are restocked to prevent patient care from being impacted.”

Separately, a statewide blood emergency was declared in Connecticut last week as supplies there plummeted to less than half of what is optimally needed to meet hospitals' demand.

The Connecticut Blood Center said it only has about a three-day supply of type O blood and added that supplies of type O blood have not been this low since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, NBC Connecticut reported.

The center attributed the shortfall to seasonal spikes in traumatic accidents and a decline in donations. It has put out an urgent call for donations of type O negative and type O positive blood.

The Red Cross is similarly urging people to donate blood by finding a local blood drive or making an appointment at a donation center (which can be found by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS).

Those who donate by Aug. 31 will receive a $20 Amazon gift card, the Red Cross said.