If you’ve ever wondered where your blood donation goes, it can end up being used to help patients with various conditions.
French Hospital Medical Center ER Dr. Steven Bolen explained that in his line of work, donations can be used for trauma cases, OBGYN hemorrhaging, and even transfusions for people with chronic conditions or cancer. He says if they were to ever run short, it would be a huge issue.
“You start running into issues where you're not able to match certain blood types and you're having to send out requests to surrounding cities and states to have blood shipped in which, obviously in a situation where someone's short on blood, it's a life and death type of situation," Dr. Bolen said.
Bolen dealt with cancer treatments as a kid and blood donations made it possible for him to get the treatment he needed.
“After several surgeries, I needed blood transfusions. I can tell you, when your blood counts are low and you need a blood transfusion, you feel terrible. Luckily, I was in the hospital setting and they had everything there," he explained.
Over at San Luis Obispo’s other hospital, Adventist Health Sierra Vista, there's always a need for blood due to its trauma care unit.
“There's been a high need for certain blood products like O-positive or O-negative blood types, and we work closely with Vitalant to make sure that need stays filled,” said Elaina Whitaker, Sierra Vista Blood Bank Hematology and Coagulation Lead.
Whitaker says blood can be used to treat patients of all ages.
“Today, we're transfusing a NICU baby and it is just amazing that we got the product the baby needed this morning and as the baby needed it,” she said.
According to Vitalant, 25% of donated blood is used to treat patients with cancer.
Once extracted, the red blood cells from a whole blood donation must be used within 42 days.
Whitaker says they always have 50 units of red blood cells on hand in addition to more than 45 units of frozen plasma.
To schedule an appointment to donate blood, visit the Vitalant website.
The San Miguel Fire Department will be hosting a blood drive on Wednesday, Sept. 11 from 2:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 1150 Mission Street.
On Sept. 19, Adventist Health will be holding a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Adventist Health Twin Cities Hospital.
