Doctors and health experts are issuing an urgent plea to Utahns: Give blood.
Utah, like the country, is experiencing a shortage of blood and blood products for hospitals, a group of medical professionals said in an online news conference Tuesday. The shortage comes at the worst time, they said, because summer is “trauma season,” when more accidents occur that require blood transfusions.
That need to get blood to trauma patients — both in emergency rooms and surgeries — along with a drop in the number of blood donors, is creating a “perfect storm” for a shortage, said Dr. Rich Ferguson, senior medical director of surgical operations at Intermountain Healthcare.
Benjamin Donner, executive director of the American Red Cross’ Utah branch, said blood banks “always try to have at least five days’ supply of blood for these trauma cases and surgeries, et cetera — what our hospitals need. We are currently at less than a half a day’s supply.”
The shortage has caused Utah hospitals to delay or reschedule some major procedures, such as organ transplants.
David Beverley, 31, of Magna, was scheduled to give a piece of his liver to his father, Peter Beverley, 60, of Taylorsville, on June 29 at Intermountain Medical Center in Murray. Because of the blood shortage, the procedure has been put off until July 27.
“I had been in quarantine the whole weekend, just kind of psyching myself up for this big surgery,” David Beverley said. “The day before, we get the call that there’s not enough blood supply for [the doctors] to feel comfortable to go through with this surgery.”
Beverley added, “you hear from people saying, ‘We need blood,’ and you just kind of log it in the back of your mind. But until you’re actually in a situation like this, when we were ready for the surgery and then told there’s not enough blood, you think, ‘Oh, wow, we really do have a blood shortage.’”
Beverley said his wife is scheduled to give birth to their third child, a girl, in September. “The way the cards have fallen now, I’m going to be recovering the same time my wife is,” he said.
Peter Beverley, who suffers from a non-alcohol-related liver disease, said of his condition, “we’re just taking it a day at a time. Some days are good. some days are bad.”
A liver transplant can typically require between 10 and 20 units of blood, said Dr. Ram Nirula, chief of the division of surgery at University of Utah Health. Cardiac surgery can use between 5 and 10 units, he said.
The wild card is trauma cases in the emergency room. Those cases, Nirula said, can require anywhere from one unit to, in extreme instances, 50 or 60 units of blood or other blood products, such as platelets.
“In summer months, the trauma volume is always up, so the need is high,” Nirula said.
Deborah Jordan, community relations supervisor for ARUP Blood Services, said her labs saw a drop in donors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, ARUP would average between 75 and 100 donors a week; more recently, that number is between 50 or 60 donors a week.
People can donate blood whether or not they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, Jordan said. There are federal restrictions on who can donate blood, she said — a long list of factors, including whether the potential donor is on certain medications, or has recently traveled outside the United States.
Those interested in donating can call ARUP at 801-584-5272, or go to utahblood.org for more information. They also can get information from the American Red Cross, online at redcross.org/give-blood.
Jordan said she is optimistic that Utahns will step up and donate. “This is what we do best in Utah — we really take care of our communities,” she said. “When that call goes out, we really do see donors come through.”
