Red Cross cites need for Type O blood donations

When a patient arrives at a hospital bleeding profusely, every minute counts, said Dr. Michael Werdmann, emergency physician at Bridgeport Hospital.

“One of the most critical issues for us in the emergency department is when a patient comes in bleeding who is unstable and we need to transfuse them quickly,” he said.

In those situations, there often isn’t time to determine what blood type the patient is, so doctors like Werdmann usually rely on type O blood, which is a universal donor. This means any patient can receive type O, regardless of their blood type. Because of this, experts said, it’s crucial for hospitals to have an ample supply of type O.

That’s why it’s alarming to emergency physicians that the American Red Cross has announced a critical shortage of type O blood. According to a release sent out on Tuesday, the Red Cross nationally has less than a two-day supply of type O blood available for emergency rooms.

Though only 7 percent of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, the fact that it can be transfused to patients with any blood type makes it the most transfused blood type.

A shortage of type O could spell disaster for emergency doctors, said Dr. Kathleen LaVorgna, chair of the Norwalk Hospital department of surgery. In many cases — including an accident, a bleeding ulcer or a problem during childbirth — “people can lose half of their blood volume very quickly,” LaVorgna said.

If a hospital doesn’t have enough blood to replace what’s lost, she said, a patient will die.

To help refill the blood coffers, the Red Cross is offering a $5 Amazon gift card to all donors who give blood or platelets through June 10. Donors of all blood types, especially type O, are urged to make an appointment to donate using the Blood Donor App, at RedCrossBlood.org or by calling 800-733-2767.

LaVorgna said keeping the blood supply up is crucial.

“There are lots of patients who need a lot of blood fast when they’re in trauma,’ she said. “And every citizen in Connecticut can be part of that process if they volunteer to donate blood.”