BLOOD STORE LEVEL DANGEROUSLY LOW

With the area blood supply approaching a critically low level, Red Cross workers hope donors turn out for upcoming drives.

The Missouri-Illinois Regional Blood Service continues its code yellow blood supply alert, which means supply is low and being watched.

A week of slow collections or a rash of accidents could push the alert to code red, when Red Cross workers send out emergency calls for help.

The last code red ended in August, but David Palmer, a Cape Girardeau-based donor consultant, said the last code green, or safe level, was over a year ago.

A recent Red Cross press release said a 4-month-old's liver transplant depleted the blood supply. While recipient confidentiality kept many details from being released, Palmer said the child used 22 units of blood, nearly wiping out the B-negative blood supply.

In addition, the blood used in the transfusion had to test negative for the cytomegalovirus, which is common in adults but relatively unknown in infants. Now the CMV-negative blood supply infants need is low.

"People say, `If a family member needed blood, I'd be there to give,'" Palmer said. "But people should realize that if a person needs blood right away, he is not going to receive their blood. You're looking at a two-day turn-around time between the donation and getting it on the shelf."

Several blood drives are scheduled around Halloween, using a vampire theme to attract donors. The timing helps the supply for the holiday season, when increased accidents and decreased donations make blood less available.

Giving at a certain time each year is admirable, Palmer said, but the blood supply will increase only when people give consistently, once every few months. Red Cross workers look for more regular donors and more first-time donors.

First-timers may be frightened by the process, but Palmer explained it in detail. The donor fills out a form, answering questions about his medical history and behavior. A nurse reviews the form and then takes the donor's temperature, pulse, blood pressure and hemoglobin level.

If everything is normal, the donor is taken to a bed and a unit of blood is drained into a bag. After the procedure, the donor is asked to spend at least 10 minutes in the refreshment area to be sure he is all right.

Under normal circumstances, the process takes an hour.

"It's tough, because we're staffed based on our goal and expect people to come in on an even flow," Palmer said. "If our goal is 100 units and we're open for five hours, we expect to see 20 people an hour. If 50 come in the first hour, then there is a problem. Hopefully people will be patient or come back when we aren't so busy."

The goal for this year was 297,000 units, and Palmer said the local Red Cross will fall about 30,000 units short.

To donate blood, a person must be at least 17, weigh at least 110 pounds and be in good physical health.

Upcoming Area Blood Drives

Today

Holiday Inn Convention Center

Route K and I-55, Cape Girardeau

2 to 7 p.m.

Saturday

Grace Methodist Church

Broadway and Caruthers, Cape Girardeau

8 to noon

Monday

Ford Groves -- Limo for Life

1501 N. Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau

2 to 6 p.m.

Tuesday

Advance Elementary School

Advance

2 to 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 3

Notre Dame High School

1912 Ritter, Cape Girardeau

9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 4

J.C. Penney

West Park Mall, Cape Girardeau

noon to 4.

Friday, Nov. 4

Southeast Hospital, Jackson Outreach

2106 E. Jackson Blvd., Jackson

2 to 6 p.m.