Blood Shortages

Blood Shortage

1. Usage = 32K pints of blood used every day in US

2. Type of blood in short supply = Type “O”

3. Impact – 4.5M

a. 220mg-250mg of Iron lost for every donation – 24-30 weeks to replace iron

b. Normal Iron levels = 10-30 mmol/L (also ferritin < 10mcg/L)

4. Donor requirements (Red Cross) – Good health, weight >= 110 pounds, >= 17 years old

a. Eat iron rich foods (spinach, red meat, fish, poultry, beans, iron fortified cereals and raisins)

b. Drink an extra 16 oz fluids

c. Avoid fatty foods (hamburgers, fries, or ice cream)

d. No upper age limit

5. OTC and homeopathics, herbals, nutritional supplements are acceptable

6. Anti-depressants, Xanax, ADHD drugs -- OK

7. Restrictions (Red Cross) – anyone who has used self-injected non-prescription drugs, anyone who lived in UK for >= 3 months (and other parts of Europe) since 1980-1996 due to mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), heavy periods

a. Coronary artery disease

b. Beta blockers

c. HIV

d. Hepatitis

e. Active infection – wait 10 days after last antibiotic

f. Autoimmune disease

g. Receive a transfusion – wait 12 months

8. What categories of medications prevent people from giving blood?

a. Acne meds – Isotretinoin (d/t birth defects)

b. Finasteride and dutasteride (d/t birth defects)

c. Psoriasis meds – Soriatane (acitretin) – wait 3 years d/t severe congenital birth defects

d. Antiplatelet meds – wait 7-14 days for platelet donations

e. Blood thinners – blood doesn’t clot

f. Growth hormone injections

g. Multiple sclerosis medications – Aubagio – wait 2 years d/t birth defects

9. Medications that can’t be used to give blood (must wait one month until you can give blood)

a. Accutane, Amnesteem, Absorica, Claravis, Myorisan, Sotret, Zenatane (isotretinoin)

b. Proscar (finasteride)

c. Propecia (finasteride)

10. Recovery

a. Blood replenished within 24 hours

b. Red cells take 4-6 weeks

c. Must wait 8 weeks between giving blood

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