- Obesity Genes Mean Some Folks Must Exercise More for Same Results
- SCOTUS Appears Skeptical of Arguments to Curb Abortion Pill Access
- Sleep Troubles Can Raise Your Blood Pressure: Study
- ADHD Meds Tied to Heart Damage in Young Adult Users
- Could Regular Exercise Cure Your Insomnia? New Research Says Yes
- Black Men Less Likely to Receive Heart Transplants Than White Men or Women
- Could Deep Frying Foods Harm the Brain? Rat Study Suggests It Might
- Human Brains Are Getting Larger With Each Generation
- Animals Catch More Viruses From Us Than We Do From Them
- Young Adults With Migraine May Face Higher Stroke Risk
Blood Banks Face Seasonal Shortages, New Screening Rules
There’s typically a shortage of both blood and platelets during the holiday season. But, tighter testing for a rare complication of transfusions makes the need for platelets even more urgent, experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas say.
Platelets are a component of blood that are essential for clotting.
The complication, called transfusion-related acute lung injury (TRALI), is the leading cause of death due to transfusions, the experts said.
“One reason the supply of blood platelets has decreased is that we now have additional required testing of platelets after donation,” said Dr. Thomas Froehlich, medical director at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Blood and platelet shortages are traditionally common during the holidays. The shortages put cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, trauma victims and people with health issues that require routine transfusions at risk.
If you would like to donate blood, contact a blood center in your area for information.
More information
The American Red Cross provides more information on blood facts and statistics.
Source: HealthDay
Copyright © 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.