Critical Need for O Blood Types at Stanford Blood Center

August 3, 2018
Attention News Desk: Press Release (for immediate release)
MEDIA CONTACT:
Loren Magaña 650-529-5828
lmagana@stanford.edu

STANFORD, Calif. — Bay Area residents are being asked to donate type O blood products at Stanford Blood Center to help meet the needs of local hospitals.

Because of higher than normal blood usage in the hospitals and a drop in donations over the summer, the Blood Center has a critically low inventory of both O positive and O negative blood.

“In summertime, many of our regular donors are traveling and we don’t have our high school and college blood drives to help bring in new donors,” said Stanford Blood Center Spokesperson, Loren Magaña. “Please consider making an appointment to donate at one of our centers or mobile blood drives. Now is the time, we need you.”

Stanford Blood Center has been supporting a number of patients who have required large amounts of blood products. This past week, five patients alone have used over 500 blood products, including 200 units (pints) of red cells (for context, a person’s total blood volume is generally between 8–10 pints). In just about one hour of your time, you can help patients like these who desperately need life-saving blood and blood products.

Donors should be in good health with no cold or flu symptoms. They must eat well prior to donation, drink fluids and present a photo ID at the time of donation.

While we are critically low for type O blood, all blood types are welcome.

To schedule an appointment at one of our donor centers or mobile drives, please visit stanfordbloodcenter.org or call 888-723-7831.

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Stanford Blood Center was created at the Stanford University School of Medicine in 1978 to meet the complex transfusion needs of Stanford Hospital & Clinics and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, as well as provide tailored blood products and clinical trial services for school researchers. Today the center provides blood products to four local hospitals and is a recognized leader in the field of transfusion medicine. More information is available at stanfordbloodcenter.org.