According to a statement from the Connecticut Blood Center last week, the region is running low on blood, specifically types O- and O+, the universal blood type and most common blood type, respectively.
The center issued what it called an “urgent call” for blood, saying the region only has a two—to three-day supply of O-, O+, and B- blood types — well below the optimal five to seven-day supply.
According to the center's statement, the shortage is due to two main reasons. First, there’s “trauma season,” which refers to the period between Memorial Day and Labor Day, when health care centers see a spike in traumatic accidents in the warmer months.
“Blood collections fall precipitously in the summer months, and the need for urgent transfusion spikes as we hit the highways and enjoy outdoor activities,” said Bradford Sherbourne, the medical director of Hartford Hospital Laboratories. “There is no substitute for blood. It cannot be manufactured.”
Then, there’s an expected seasonal dip in donations in the summer months due to travel and summer break from school.
The center’s statement said approximately 25% of trauma patients require blood transfusions, but blood is also needed for routine patient care.
