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Home  Feature Articles Give Blood—Simple, Effective, Life-Saving
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Give Blood—Simple, Effective, Life-Saving |
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Wednesday, 01 March 2006 |
Taking the time to donate blood is one of the simplest and most effective ways of reaching out and helping someone in need.
Blood is always in demand. According to the National Blood Data Resource Center, US hospitals transfused nearly 14 million units of whole blood and red blood cells to 4.9 million patients in 2001—that’s an average of 38,000 units of blood needed on any given day—and that was 5 years ago.
Whether your blood type is common or rare, it’s valuable. Common blood types are needed because there are many patients with them. Less common blood types are needed because there are fewer donors to give them.
People with O-blood are particularly in demand because they’re considered the “universal donor.” Since people of all blood types can receive O blood safely, it’s used during life-threatening emergencies or when the matching blood type is in short supply. AB types are universal recipients.
This relationship is reversed for plasma products. AB type plasma can be transfused to all patients, while O-types are the universal plasma recipients. Therefore, all types are needed.
To contact the American Red Cross, visit www.redcross.org or call 1-800-HELPNOW (800-435-7669). For blood donation information, visit www.givelife.org or call 1-800-GIVELIFE (1-800-448-3543).
There’s a Donation Center conveniently located right at Suite 180 in East Point’s Camp Creek MarketPlace. The Center’s hours are Tuesday & Thursday, 1-8pm, Saturday, 8-3pm. During your next shopping trip, drop in and set up an appointment. |
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